One dead as watermelon truck slams into Phuket’s Heroines Monument

Eakkapop Thongtub

 

The pickup truck was carrying four tons of watermelons from Krabi to markets in Patong when the driver lost control on the wet road and slammed into the barrier before dawn today (Jan 6). Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

 

PHUKET: -- One man has died and another is injured after their pickup truck carrying four tons of watermelons slid out of control and slammed into a steel barricade protecting the Heroines Monument in central Phuket before dawn this morning (Jan 6).

 

Thalang Police led by Capt Kraisorn Boonprasop along with Kusoldharm rescue workers were called to the accident at 5:45am.

 

At the scene, the pickup truck driver, Sonsitthi Raeden, 43, from Krabi, was unconscious and unresponsive in the cab.

 

Full story: http://www.thephuketnews.com/one-dead-as-watermelon-truck-slams-into-phuket-heroines-monument-60508.php

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2017-01-06

RIP Watermelon Man

 

where are the 4 tons of watermelons? No one is pointing so i don't know where to look.

Can you say overloaded?

1/2 ton payload truck carrying 4 tons. What could go wrong?

4 tonnes would make it impossible to control under the circumstances.

Like driving a lethal weapon. 

an accident waiting to happen - and it did

Phew! Thank God it didn't happen yesterday and spoil the figures for the "seven days of danger" campaign.

"Hey Somchai, why is it called a half ton truck?"

These guys were just trying to make a living, overloaded their vehicle and one paid with his life

 

 

Yeah well, dying ain't much of a living !

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RIP

how would they know it was 4 tons, they are all over the road

 

2 door toyota hilux kerb weight 1495kgs  GVW 2780kgs

 

RIP Mr. Majestyk.

 

 

 

 

Check for gravel at the buffet fruit area tomorrow

I believe a pickup trunk can take on up to 1 tonne.

 

Half tonne limit is closer to a sedan car.

Chalk up another one for rain making the roads wet.

They need to have a crackdown.

3 minutes ago, trogers said:

I believe a pickup trunk can take on up to 1 tonne.

 

Half tonne limit is closer to a sedan car.

 

Here in Thailand the 'limit' is volume, and they increase by raising up the sides with rails, even road out the  open tailgate. The overloading you see every day is incredible.  Police see it, get tea money, driver continues.

Guaranteed he was speeding for the conditions of the road.

44 minutes ago, Crossy said:

These guys were just trying to make a living, overloaded their vehicle and one paid with his life

 

 

Agreed, but do you think people will ever learn.. now they killed themselves (good outcome in my book better than someone else). But maybe next time they kill someone else because they are overloaded. The police is useless without a good police force nothing will ever change.

Man dies and people have a chuckle over it- how quaint.

Yes, they will easily do a ton (even the 4-seaters)... don't know where 500kg came from. However, overloaded indeed. If the driver could say what happened, it would likely go something along the lines of 'well I normally do that speed around there and no problems'... while disregarding all the water on the road. Sadly he paid with his life. Glad no-one else was killed. 

2 hours ago, Crossy said:

These guys were just trying to make a living, overloaded their vehicle and one paid with his life

 

 

 

 

I doubt you would feel that way if he killed an innocent road user, perhaps a friend or family member of yours. 

4 hours ago, KMartinHandyman said:

1/2 ton payload truck carrying 4 tons. What could go wrong?

Everything. I guess watermelons do explode upon impact. 

4 tons??????

Road was wet and slippery,what can you do ? Slowdown ,that's just stupid ,farang not understand Thai wet roads

5 hours ago, steelepulse said:

Guaranteed he was speeding for the conditions of the road.

 

With four times the payload as the maximum specified (about 1.0t - 1.2t depending on model), you don't even need much speed. I mean, I would call even 40km/h speeding under those conditions.

 

5 tonnes of rolling mass head on into reinforced metal pillars. That's bound to be an ugly outcome.

 

I wonder why the police checkpoint when coming into Phuket doesn't check vehicles for road-worthyness. There's tons and tons of vehicles going through there that are obviously not road worthy. If they at least would stop all those black smoke machines

Just now, eisfeld said:

 

<snip>

I wonder why the police checkpoint when coming into Phuket doesn't check vehicles for road-worthyness. There's tons and tons of vehicles going through there that are obviously not road worthy. If they at least would stop all those black smoke machines

 

Because the BiB get paid off.  Drivers know it, BiB know it, everyone happy .... until the accident

54 minutes ago, LivinginKata said:

 

Because the BiB get paid off.  Drivers know it, BiB know it, everyone happy .... until the accident

 

I doubt this truck paid them off. You can see these trucks going through the checkpoint without anyone looking much. I don't think they keep a list of license plates who have paid a bribe. They just don't check. They sometimes look for weapons or drugs I guess, but not road worthyness. Many of the trucks and buses also pass not only the Phuket checkpoint but a couple others on their way. They wont bribe all of them, not for stuff like black smoke or exceeding the specified maximum load. There's a huge problem with corruption in the police force, sure. But maybe an even bigger problem is non-enforcement of traffic laws.

Does this mean another tunnel project?

12 hours ago, Crossy said:

These guys were just trying to make a living, overloaded their vehicle and one paid with his life

 

 

Wow I think I will frame that one

 

11 hours ago, Psimbo said:

Man dies and people have a chuckle over it- how quaint.

SELF INFLICTED

Guess what the answer is to cure that for the next brainless muppet