A driver and two monks escape unhurt after their vehicle was rammed by a train

KANCHANABURI: A pickup truck driver and two monks miraculously escaped death or injury when the vehicle in which they were travelling was rammed by a train at a railway crossing in Saiyoke district of Kanchanaburi Saturday afternoon.

However, the pickup truck was badly damaged and thrown into a ditch beside the railroad by the force of the impact.

The accident happened at a railway crossing in Ban Wang Yai, Tambon Thasao of Saiyoke district at about 1.30 pm.

The driver later told police that he was not familiar with the route and didn’t notice that a train was approaching as he tried to cross the rail. He said that there was no barricade nor was there any official at the railway crossing to warn motorists of incoming trains.

He added that he and his two occupants, two monks, were lucky to escape unhurt as their vehicle was thrown into the ditch and was not dragged by the train.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/driver-two-monks-escape-unhurt-vehicle-rammed-train/

-- Thai PBS 2016-07-03

the car hit the train

Something needs to be done about those reckless trains.

dead straight bit of track, never seen a train coming, <deleted>. and this <deleted> drives on the road ??

dead straight bit of track, never seen a train coming, <deleted>. and this <deleted> drives on the road ??

In order to see, you have to look first.

Typical misleading title designed to bring up rage against the reckless train driver "ramming" the innocent pickup driver and its auspicious monks.

At last a Monk story that doesn't cast them in a bad light. They saved the pick-up driver's life by their very presence.

dead straight bit of track, never seen a train coming, <deleted>. and this <deleted> drives on the road ??

It is hard to see a massively large train especially when texting

No official warnings - because the track was built by locals and undocumented.

So are the police charging the driver with careless driving?

There must have been a sign saying railway crossing.

This attitude by drivers that it's the trains fault.......

In most countries where you actually have to have a license, common sense is taught to stop, look and listen.

Level crossing or grade crossing accidents are almost entirely caused by motorists either not looking or being aware of trains operating on rail lines. I suggest the driver & his two passengers were just oblivious to what was going on, probably talking, joking, etc, & next minute they were flying thru the air pushed by the train. It is also amazing the number of accidents like this where cars are driven into the side of trains. Truly incredible. No fault of the train driver at all.

So are the police charging the driver with careless driving?

There must have been a sign saying railway crossing.

This attitude by drivers that it's the trains fault.......

In this news video story there are more pictures of the accident.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAOH41Ja81I

There are signs on both sides of the railway crossing but i could only see the back of them from the photographs, i would take a guess and say that the hexagonal signs states STOP

So are the police charging the driver with careless driving?

There must have been a sign saying railway crossing.

This attitude by drivers that it's the trains fault.......

In this news video story there are more pictures of the accident.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAOH41Ja81I

There are signs on both sides of the railway crossing but i could only see the back of them from the photographs, i would take a guess and say that the hexagonal signs states STOP

It looks to me as though the SRT may be building some barriers and flashing lights at that crossing judging by the concrete boxes and cabling beside the pickup.

Looking at the damage which isn't that much to the pickup the train must have almost been on the crossing and perhaps the driver thought he could make it across instead of stopping. Idiot.

Can anyone make out the licence number as it must be good for some lottery tickets.

No official warnings - because the track was built by locals and undocumented.

I think the track was built by POWs around 1943 if the crossing is between Kanch. and Namtok.

This se tion between Kan and Namtok is being brought up to date due to numerous derailments from the old rotted wooden sleepers.

You can see that in this section the sleepers are replaced with concrete.

In addition the many unmanned and ungated crossings are being updated also, as can be clearly seen here....

Unfotunately you cannot legislate for stupid...

Anybody get the licence plate of the truck?

Need some lottery numbers.

It's not as if there are multiple trains each day on this section of line. The pickup hit the loco not the other way around.

In his defence the driver said that there were no flashing lights, barrier or official to warm him

There are many uncontrolled crossings on this route especially dirt tracks crossing the line at right angles and it is quite easy to not see that it is a railway line just ahead as you approach but that's no excuse.

The following traffic will be perplexed but the mantra should be, windows down, stop dead, look left and right and left again listening and cross if it's safe. Any competent driver knows that........

Truck Guided by Tesla System,will be latest excuse.

Those pest of machines of thousands of tons driving in a straight line sounding horns for 50 years on the path should be fined for not updating the villages that those 2 metal rails are you trains not a car park.

Lucky bastards

Now there are three steps to heaven (three steps to heaven, three steps to heaven)
Just listen and you will plainly see (three steps to heaven, three steps to heaven)
And as life travels on
And things do go wrong
Just follow steps one, two and three (three steps to heaven, three steps to heaven)

Step one, you find a railway crossing
Step two,you don't look right or left
Step three, you drive on regardless

Just follow steps one, two and three (three steps to heaven, three steps to heaven)

for a moment I tried to imagine how a train could ram a vehicle?

did it go off track and does it have a steering wheel ?
Then I thought about rebels without a cause playing chicken-on-the-crossroad and understood.

How about "Pick up driver and passengers narrowly survive selfish, idiotic suicidal stunt at railway level crossing"

Which idiot wrote this headline? "Pick-up on crossing hit by train" is at the least more accurate.

They will tell me next that the train should have swerved to avoid the pick-up.

TIT.

Don't be silly, the truck had monks in it so obviously the train was in the wrong. The finer details don't matter, this is Thailand.

Thats near my house, you can see 200yds either side when your crossing and the line is in a dip so you have to slow right down to cross, cannot imagine how he's been on the line.

Some nonsense posts have been removed.