On Sunday, police were alerted to a crash in Kamphaeng Phet Province, where a pickup truck had collided with the back of an 18-wheel sugarcane truck. The accident resulted in three deaths and two injuries.
When officers and over 30 rescue workers from Sawang Kamphaeng Phet, Pa Phuttha, arrived at the scene, they found a four-door Isuzu D-Max pickup truck smashed into the rear of a Hino trailer truck.
Inside the pickup, the driver, Mr Sermrit Phuemsuk, 31, was holding his deceased wife while their 20-month-old daughter, also lifeless, rested on her lap. Their seven-year-old daughter, Nanthanaphat, sitting behind the driver’s seat, sustained minor injuries to her arm and leg.
Nearby, the body of the driver’s nine-year-old son, ejected from the vehicle during the crash, was discovered.
Emergency responders transported the injured girl and her father to Khanuworalakburi Hospital in Kamphaeng Phet. Meanwhile, other rescue teams worked for over 30 minutes using cutting tools to free the bodies trapped inside the wreckage. The victims were later taken to the hospital, where an initial autopsy was conducted.
Relatives who had travelled to the scene were overwhelmed with grief. They explained that the family had been returning home from a trip to Bueng Si Fai in Phichit Province. The accident occurred five kilometres from their home in Tambon Yang Sung, Amphoe Khanu Woralaksaburi, Kamphaeng Phet Province.
Somsak Phothikrai, 50, the driver of the sugarcane truck, stated that he had pulled over, switched on his hazard lights, and stepped out to inspect his tyres. Moments later, he heard a loud crash. When he checked, he saw the pickup slammed into his truck’s back.
Somsak mentioned that this area is a common stop for vehicles transporting sugarcane to a factory in Nakhon Sawan Province. He speculated that the pickup truck driver likely didn’t see the parked truck in time to stop.
Police took the sugarcane truck driver for alcohol and drug testing while continuing their investigation. They are gathering evidence to determine the cause of the accident and proceed with legal action.
Later, reporters visited Khanuworalakburi Hospital, where officials had moved the three bodies. They saw Miss. Nantnapat, or Faye, who had minor injuries, clinging to her father, Mr. Saemrit, who appeared deeply shaken by the tragedy.
