Bangkok-bound train hits truck, leaving one dead

[webfact]

Bangkok-bound train hits truck, leaving one dead



PHITSANULOK: -- A 22-year-old man was killed and another seriously injured when a Denchai-Bangkok train crashed into a pickup truck at an unmanned railway crossing in Phitsanulok province Friday morning.

Rescue workers of the Prasat Boonsatharn Phitsanulok Foundation rushed to the railway crossing scene in front of Bungphra commercial college, about five kilometres off Phitsanulok railway station to the south, after passersby alerted them of the incident at 10.30 am.

Witnesses said the pickup truck was about to cross the tracks while the No 112 train was also approaching in high speed.

The train blew the horn several times as it was reaching the crossing but the driver of the truck didn’t stop and escalated his truck to pass the tracks.

As the truck came into the middle of the tracks, it was the time when the train arrived.

The collusion broke apart the truck into two pieces killing a passenger on the left side, and seriously injured its driver Nopparat Dingklang.

There were many accidents at this railway crossing in the past years because there is no barricades, but warning signals.

http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/bangkok-bound-train-hits-truck-leaving-one-dead

-- Thai PBS 2015-06-12

[berybert]

Dang. Almost. Now we can either sit here for 30 seconds or die.

[Pimay1]

There were many accidents at this railway crossing in the past years because there is no barricades, but warning signals and idiots trying to outrun an oncoming train.

Fixed that.

[HeijoshinCool]

But … but ... the truck driver flashed his lights!

[worgeordie]

Just wait till they get the High speed trains, Somchai, yes,yes I can make it across

easy.......CRASH !!!!

regards worgeordie

[halloween]

I vaguely remember my grandfather's older brother, WWI vet, was employed as a railway crossing guard. A bell would ring in his hut, and he would manually close the crossing gates, in a time when trains were far fewer on the Sydney-Newcastle line.

That's a pretty primitive safety system, but if they cant afford auto gates, it might be worth a try. I'm sure there's older rice farmers that would appreciate an increase in income.

[siam2007]

there is another topic running here where a member asked "are trains safe in Thailand".

I guess facts speak for themselves....... no need to comment further..... let me hop on a plane (except Orient Thai) to get to a domestic destination at any given minute

[seajae]

problem is even if they fit gates etc the drivers/riders will just go around them as they do not like waiting, for some reason a lot of thais are very impatient and refuse to wait for anyone else even when it more than likely will kill them. You only have to look at all the self made crossing they make on rail lines, highways etc, sensibility has nothing to do with it.

[Jay Sata]

The driver was probably listening to Luk Thung flat out on the speakers or worse still engaged in the regular pastime of watching a Thai move while driving.

As for the train being at high speed....I have never seen a Thai train manage to get above 60 mph.

These stories would have more impact if they were a rare occurance.

However they are daily fodder for newspapers and tv.

[robertthebruce]

Safety in any shape or form in Thailand just does not exist....

[ldiablo]

@halloween. Every village has enough qualified security staff to fill those positions seeing as that's all thry do anyway.

[fareastguy]

I hope when the driver recovers he will apologise to his dead passengers family and explain to them why he couldn't wait for the train to pass !!!

The saying goes "One born every minute"

in Thailand the death rate seems to keep-up !!

[ameadi]

RIP.....

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

It's one thing when idiot drivers kill themselves. That's just Darwin's law in operation.

But it's a totally different thing when, as in this case or many others, the idiot drivers survive and it's the innocent passengers, like the one passenger here or all the other senseless van and bus crash passengers, who get killed or injured in the process.

[geriatrickid]

How many of us have stopped at a railway crossing to verify before crossing, only to have a jerk behind us sit on his horn and then tailgate us for a few kms because we dared to behave in a prudent manner?

[little mary sunshine]

So sad, not worth the risk to attempt to

Beat the train

[technologybytes]

"There were many accidents at this railway crossing in the past years because there is no barricades, but warning signals"

I find it hard to believe that a single crossing could have regular accidents involving trains, after all the vast majority of unmanned crossings in the west never have any accidents at all.

Either the signs need to be bigger, the flashing lights need to be brighter, or the railways need to reconsider the use of unmanned crossings in Thailand.

It's all very well saying that the drivers deserve it for being so stupid, but it's often the passengers that get killed.

[Maggusoil]

I vaguely remember my grandfather's older brother, WWI vet, was employed as a railway crossing guard. A bell would ring in his hut, and he would manually close the crossing gates, in a time when trains were far fewer on the Sydney-Newcastle line.

That's a pretty primitive safety system, but if they cant afford auto gates, it might be worth a try. I'm sure there's older rice farmers that would appreciate an increase in income.

This is a great idea. Positive all round. The young men could have been really drunk, stoned and had the ghetto blasting sub woofers on at high power.

We do tend to be stupid at an early age, but we shouldn't have to die unecessarily.

Guards at these crossings would be a great way to get a bit more safety, especially at crossings where trains are going quickly.

[Tassie Norm]

I vaguely remember my grandfather's older brother, WWI vet, was employed as a railway crossing guard. A bell would ring in his hut, and he would manually close the crossing gates, in a time when trains were far fewer on the Sydney-Newcastle line.

That's a pretty primitive safety system, but if they cant afford auto gates, it might be worth a try. I'm sure there's older rice farmers that would appreciate an increase in income.

I remember those days too in Oz halloween. However they'd have to be well designed gates else Thai drivers would find a way through/round for those precious few seconds of waiting......

[Bakseeda]

I vaguely remember my grandfather's older brother, WWI vet, was employed as a railway crossing guard. A bell would ring in his hut, and he would manually close the crossing gates, in a time when trains were far fewer on the Sydney-Newcastle line.

That's a pretty primitive safety system, but if they cant afford auto gates, it might be worth a try. I'm sure there's older rice farmers that would appreciate an increase in income.

Yes, great idea.... but would you manage to find a Thai person able to stay awake and react to the alarm bell... able to stop drinking, or even able to put his cards down..! I think not.. Welcome to Thailand..!

[Fullstop]

the driver of the truck didnt stop and escalated his truck to pass the tracks.

"Escalated his truck"?

Must have been fitted with anti gravity.

As the truck came into the middle of the tracks, it was the time when the train arrived.

Amazing deduction!

"Journalism" I guess it's one of the "prohibited jobs" for foreigners.

[jackanapes]

I think the truck driver thought he could beat the train unfortunately he didn't and somebody died because of his stupidity . unmanned railway crossings are dangerous places RIP to the unfortunate passenger.

[tonysilly]

The car ran into the train. Stupid drivers do not want to wait.

[biplanebluey]

there is another topic running here where a member asked "are trains safe in Thailand".

I guess facts speak for themselves....... no need to comment further..... let me hop on a plane (except Orient Thai) to get to a domestic destination at any given minute

Yep------ you can always rely on a plane to get you to your destination without the drama of an accident

[ChiangmaiRob]

"There were many accidents at this railway crossing in the past years because there is no barricades" ... no, it's simply because people are impatient and utterly stupid!

[Pimay1]

the driver of the truck didnt stop and escalated his truck to pass the tracks.

"Escalated his truck"?

Must have been fitted with anti gravity.

As the truck came into the middle of the tracks, it was the time when the train arrived.

Amazing deduction!

"Journalism" I guess it's one of the "prohibited jobs" for foreigners.

"Escalated his truck"?

Must have been fitted with anti gravity.

Not a problem.

[biplanebluey]

problem is even if they fit gates etc the drivers/riders will just go around them as they do not like waiting, for some reason a lot of thais are very impatient and refuse to wait for anyone else even when it more than likely will kill them. You only have to look at all the self made crossing they make on rail lines, highways etc, sensibility has nothing to do with it.

In my day the gates were really gates.They covered the full width of the road so there was no "going round them" and people on foot could not duck under them as I see all the time in town

[kaorop]

Rip to the passenger.

I guess the idiot driver Dingklang doesnt see the irony of his name, in regards to the sound of railway crossing bells.

[Colabamumbai]

I hope when the driver recovers he will apologise to his dead passengers family and explain to them why he couldn't wait for the train to pass !!!

The saying goes "One born every minute"

in Thailand the death rate seems to keep-up !!

It keeps up with the birth rate.

[Brer Fox]

I vaguely remember my grandfather's older brother, WWI vet, was employed as a railway crossing guard. A bell would ring in his hut, and he would manually close the crossing gates, in a time when trains were far fewer on the Sydney-Newcastle line.

That's a pretty primitive safety system, but if they cant afford auto gates, it might be worth a try. I'm sure there's older rice farmers that would appreciate an increase in income.

Manned gates do not seem to work in Asia. Here is an example.

http://vietnamnews.vn/society/241944/train-collides-with-container-truck.html

Evidently this was a manned gate but the guy supposed to be manning same gate went home to lunch and nap (Asia 2 hours min). I am sure the mentality with Thai drivers would be the same as Vietnamese drivers and that is if the barrier is up then it must be fact that no train is coming and therefore no need to look left or right before crossing - just barrel straight across regardless.