School Teacher Killed in Yet Another Train Accident in Udon Thani

UDON THANI – Pol Lt Col Supaphat Jittarak, an investigator of Muang district police, has reported that a vehicle carrying two Thai Nationals has collided with a train at a railway crossing in Muang district of Udon Thani province, killing a man and a woman on Friday night.

Pol Lt Col Supaphat Jittarak said this was the third accident at this railway crossing in this northeastern province this week.

Pol Lt Col Supaphat Jittarak, told the Bangkok Post the accident took place at 8.50pm when the Nong Khai – Bangkok train rammed into a pick-up truck at the railway crossing at Ban Udom Pattana in tambon Ban Chan.

The pick-up truck was hurled by the impact into a ditch about 50m away from the crossing. Police officers Found  Ketnarinthip Namak, 39, a school teacher from Sakon Nakhon province dead at the wheel, the body of her boyfriend, identified only as Tui, was found approximately 5meters away from the vehicle.

Prayad Awera, 52, the headman of Ban Udom Pattana District, said while he was on duty at a checkpoint for the New Year road safety campaign he heard the train’s whistle and saw the pick-up truck moving slowly toward the crossing.

Prayad Awera said he waved to warn the vehicle of the oncoming train to no avail, as the two people inside appeared to be quarrelling. The pick-up truck continued to move on and was hit by the train.

Sources said that this was the third accident at this railway crossing in just one week. The first one took place on Dec 28, killing one and wounding four people. The second occured on Dec 30 when two people were killed.

The crossing, one of the 43 in the province, does not have a warning sign or barrier.