Chula student skewered on truck's pilings - red light in plastic bottle served as warning

[webfact]

Chula student skewered on truck's pilings - red light in plastic bottle served as warning


Image: Manager.co.th

BANGKOK:-- A Chulalongkorn University student died this morning when she drove her Mercedes Benz into the back of piling hanging off the back of a ten wheel truck.

The car was skewered by five piling posts as it crossed a bridge over a klong on the Kaset-Nawamin road heading towards the Kaset intersection, reports Manager.co.th.

There was a little red light dangling in a plastic bottle on the back of the huge concrete slabs.

The driver of the lorry, hearing a noise but unaware what had happened drove off the bridge some 200 metres before stopping to look. He saw he had dragged the car with him along the road.

He managed to alert foundation officials before fleeing the scene. Later in the night he presented himself to Bang Khen police.

Police at the scene found piling had gone right through the Komressor car hitting Priwara Mangkhlapisangun, 35. She was still breathing faintly but as foundation workers cut her free she died of her injuries.


Image: Manager.co.th

From Lat Krabang she was a mature student studying at the faculty of education at Bangkok's most well known university, Chulalongkorn.

Police understood that the accident had occured on the bridge over the Bang Bua canal in the lead up to Kaset on the Prasertmanukij (Kaset-Nawamin) Road. It is a dark area. The lorry was on the incline coming down, going at a normal speed in the left hand lane and would have been hard to see, they said.

They found that there was a small red light in a plastic bottle on the back of the piling that was protruding over the back of the truck. In total there were ten piling posts.

The truck driver was nowhere to be seen but at 4.30 am he presented himself to police at the Bang Khen station. Sunthorn Chanabunchai, 42, said he had been driving normally over the bridge when he heard a loud noise. After clearing the bridge he parked and saw in horror what had happened. He called foundation workers before crossing the road and running away. He said he was in a state of total shock.

When he recovered sufficiently he gave himself up to police.

Police are contacting relatives of the dead woman, interviewing witnesses, studying CCTV and waiting for the results of autopsy as they investigate the accident.

Source: Manager.co.th


-- 2016-04-28

[FourAces]

RIP miss Priwara Mangkhlapisangun.

Sad to hear that she didn't die instantly, but had to suffer for some time before passing from her injuries

[lujanit]

RIP to the lady.

At least the driver, having overcome the initial shock and who wouldn't be shocked, was decent enough to present himself to the police.

[macksview]

calamity of errors

RIP to the lady.

[rkidlad]

RIP, lady.

Those little red flags are simply not sufficient. Also, another good reason to keep your distance when behind a vehicle if you can.

[sweatalot]

RIP to the lady.

At least the driver, having overcome the initial shock and who wouldn't be shocked, was decent enough to present himself to the police.

I heard this is not the usual type of behavior in this country.

[sweatalot]

RIP miss Priwara Mangkhlapisangun.

Sad to hear that she didn't die instantly, but had to suffer for some time before passing from her injuries

she was breathing does not mean she was conscious

[Artisi]

What an absolute meaningless and completely confusing garble of a headline to describe this tragic and possibly avoidable death. Unfortunately nothing will be learnt or recommendations made to address overhanging loads trucks.

[SOTIRIOS]

....'early morning'....like before sunrise.....

...but hard to miss such a massive vehicle one would think.......

[toybits]

Just wondering, was she on the way home or going to the university at a very early hour? Will the investigators conclude that the truck driver was driving backwards at a very fast speed and thus caused the pilings to go through the Benz? You can never tell with these guys.

Edited April 28, 2016 by toybits

[arunsakda]

Tragic. At least the transporters tried to light it. That is a big load of pilings don't know if it was legal or not but, even in the USA it probably would have been, even without guide vehicles as long as it had the proper candlepower lights visble to 500 feet.

Maybe she was speeding or impaired. I'm not victim blaming but if you are driving at night at a safe speed you should see vehicles and obstacles in front of you in time to stop.

Fleeing the scene of an accident should be rewarded with a custodial sentence in every case regardless of who is found to be at fault. It should be a absolute duty to stop and render aid/call authorities no matter what.

Edited April 28, 2016 by arunsakda

[abitmiffed]

The Mercedes was the cause.... Dam mercs

[Just1Voice]

Ok, just my opinion, but if the driver of the truck was doing "normal speed", by looking at the photos, the woman in the Benz was definitely NOT doing "normal speed", but a speed well above "normal".

[trogers]

Busy with a smartphone while driving or just sleepy?

[ratcatcher]

In the case of an oversize/length load, it is the responsibility of the shipper as well as the driver to ensure that any load of theirs being transported is secured sufficiently and proper regulation markers are installed .. I do realize there may be comments about the word "regulation" .

In this case better rear red lights and reflectors may have helped.

Sad to read about the young lady's death. The car must have been moving fairly fast to enable that mass of concrete to enter the car that far.

[Adventra20]

I am a truck driver from Australia. Loads like this are not permitted on the roads during hours of darkness, and must also have a vehicle front and rear escort.

I'm constantly horrified by the insecure loading I see on Thai roads, and also the poor standard of driving.

Not a week goes by without a report of a serious bus, truck, minibus, or ute crash.

The main reasons for the bus n truck crashes are on steep hills where the driver has not made a controlled descent, which is to engage a low gear, and let the engine keep the vehicle at a safe speed. They have gone down in a high gear, and relied totally on the brakes, and when the brakes get too hot, they don't work and the vehicle runs out of control..

The other reason I see is fatigue where the driver falls asleep. In Australia there are very strict fatigue rules to prevent accidents like that. So many of the bus, minibus and ute crashes have been caused by drivers falling asleep.

[phantomfiddler]

From where I am sitting I would place most of the blame on the unfortunate Merc driver, though no-one would wish for such a harsh outcome. Obviously driving too fast and not looking at what was ahead of her. Sad

[gandalf12]

The child of another rich family dead. The red bottle is no use you cant argue with that but and it is only speculation she was a student driving a Mercedes. How many students have Mercedes and of them how many are likely to be less than giving 100% to what they are doing?

Condolences to the family

[deckape]

...but hard to miss such a massive vehicle one would think.......

I was thinking the opposite. The slabs look like they cover the tail lights and brake lights.

No cops on patrol, no regulations enforced. The same damn kind of accident will happen again...

[wprime]

Just wondering, was she on the way home or going to the university at a very early hour? Will the investigators conclude that the truck driver was driving backwards at a very fast speed and thus caused the pilings to go through the Benz? You can never tell with these guys.

Nope, in Thailand these decisions are based on emotions, someone dies, hence the other party is at fault. They won't even try to justify why.

Also that's a 600,000 baht car (2002-07 C Coupe) so there's no money element here.

[Artisi]

The child of another rich family dead. The red bottle is no use you cant argue with that but and it is only speculation she was a student driving a Mercedes. How many students have Mercedes and of them how many are likely to be less than giving 100% to what they are doing?

Condolences to the family

Child, 35 years of age- better brush up on your reading skills.

[Artisi]

From where I am sitting I would place most of the blame on the unfortunate Merc driver, though no-one would wish for such a harsh outcome. Obviously driving too fast and not looking at what was ahead of her. Sad

Looking at the photo, it might be a reasonable comment to say that the rear lights on the truck were completely obscured by the piles extending beyond the end of the vehicle. But of course, a 5 minute in-depth on-site accident investigation will place the blame on the girl as she crashed into the load - nothing to do with insufficient lighting, warnings etc. The truck driver and his company (if there is any other party involved) should be for the high-jump - - but then this is LOS and who really cares - - - unfortunately.

[arithai12]

Difficult to judge without being there... and surely the warning light was sub-standard...but I find it unlikely that if you have your eyes on the road you miss such a mastodont in front of you.

[SABloke]

How fast was she driving? Even if the pilings were not over the edge of the truck it would mean she would have crashed into the truck judging from the pictures Or was she doing a stunt brake where she stops millimetres from the edge of an object

[JetsetBkk]

A 4-reg Mercedes - this years model? I presume they come with headlights?

[poohy]

I am a truck driver from Australia. Loads like this are not permitted on the roads during hours of darkness, and must also have a vehicle front and rear escort.
I'm constantly horrified by the insecure loading I see on Thai roads, and also the poor standard of driving.
Not a week goes by without a report of a serious bus, truck, minibus, or ute crash.
The main reasons for the bus n truck crashes are on steep hills where the driver has not made a controlled descent, which is to engage a low gear, and let the engine keep the vehicle at a safe speed. They have gone down in a high gear, and relied totally on the brakes, and when the brakes get too hot, they don't work and the vehicle runs out of control..
The other reason I see is fatigue where the driver falls asleep. In Australia there are very strict fatigue rules to prevent accidents like that. So many of the bus, minibus and ute crashes have been caused by drivers falling asleep."

​Sadly you are completely correct but admitted to add in drunk driving, no licenses and an corrupt police farce but yes this is what you get

[poohy]

Oh i forgot And a government that really does not give hoot about these road deaths as they aren't usually happening to important enough people

[Dodgydownunder]

The author could not have chosen a more unsympathetic and innappropriate word to describe the accident than "skewered" (like BBQ chicken) IMHO. RIP to the lady, although I do believe she was speeding.

[metisdead]

An inflammatory post has been removed as well as a reply.

[oldsailor35]

RIP to the lady.

At least the driver, having overcome the initial shock and who wouldn't be shocked, was decent enough to present himself to the police.

I heard this is not the usual type of behavior in this country.

Yes it is, but they usually run away and hide until the drugs or alcohol wears off, then present to the police with a story about shock or something like that.