Relatives of the deceased bring
monks to the site of the horrific accident to begin the long, painful process of
healing their hearts.
Theerarak Suthathiwong
The family of three of the seven people killed in a horrific minivan crash
earlier this month held religious services at the Highway 36 crash site and the
van operator’s garage before as they waited for officials to release the bodies
for cremation.
About a dozen relatives of Sukhsan Bunthum, 54; his wife Siriwan, 51; and
granddaughter Pinchat Thumcharoen, 7, invited four monks from Rayong’s Natakhwan
Temple to the spot near the Bira Circuit race track to perform Buddhist
ceremonies aimed inviting the victims’ spirits to pass on. The group then
continued to the van operator’s base on Soi Mabyailia 24 in Nongprue where they
lit incense and chanted stanzas.
Umaporn Bunthum, the 27-year-old daughter of Sukhsan and
Siriwan and mother of Pinchat, said her relatives had gone to Bangkok to
purchase 200,000 baht in lottery tickets and show their granddaughter around the
capital. When they didn’t return on time, Bunthum found out about the accident
and checked locals hospitals, only to receive the tragic news.
She said funeral services are planned at Pa Pradu Temple in Rayong. After the
three-day service, she plans to meet with the van driver, who was arrested after
the crash, and the operator’s insurance company to negotiate a settlement. She
said, however, she wants driver Chuchart Photchai, 50, to stand up, take
responsibility and explain what happened.
Umporn’s family, plus Jamnien Singhkhet, 51, daughter Suphakorn Singkhet, 38;
and son Theeraphat Mingmit, 9 months, died with another unidentified male after
the Bangkok-Rayong liquid petroleum gas-powered van hit a “no U-turn” sign and
burst into flames May 2. The driver and two others were injured and treated at
Queen Sirikit Hospital.
Police said Chuchart cut across lanes and slammed into the post, possibly
because he was distracted by conversation or fell asleep. Investigators He was
charged with reckless driving resulting in death.
Relatives, naturally, remained traumatized, with several claiming ghosts of the
deceased could be heard crying or were causing dogs to bark.
Once relatives departed the crash site, students from Ranjamangala University of
Technology Phra Nakhorn arrived to collect information and capture images of the
van and the accident for inspection and research to increase preventions and
solutions to traffic deaths.
