PATHUM THANI, Thailand – A 62-year-old man was killed after his sedan slammed into the rear of a parked 18-wheel cement truck in Pathum Thani, just north of Bangkok, early Saturday morning, in a crash that also highlights a road hazard that may surprise foreign motorists unfamiliar with driving conditions in Thailand. Police from Khu Bang Luang Police Station, rescue workers and emergency responders were called to the scene on the frontage road of Kanchanaphisek Road (Highway 3902) in Lat Lum Kaeo district after reports of a serious collision.
At the scene, officers found a pink Toyota Corolla with its front end completely crushed after colliding with the rear of an articulated cement truck parked along the roadside. The driver, identified only as Wirat, 62, was pronounced dead at the scene after suffering severe injuries.
The cement truck sustained damage to its right rear bumper. The truck driver, identified as Boonruek, 58, told police he had been transporting cement from Saraburi province to Songkhla when he pulled over at around 4:00 a.m. to rest. About an hour later, another cement truck stopped ahead of him for the same reason. When the other driver woke him to continue the journey, Boonruek said he carried out his usual walk around the vehicle before setting off. “That’s when I found the sedan had crashed into the back of my truck,” he told police. “I was shocked to discover the driver had died.”
Investigators documented the scene and questioned the truck driver as part of an ongoing investigation into the cause of the crash. The victim’s body was transported to the Central Institute of Forensic Science for an autopsy before being released to relatives for funeral arrangements. The fatal collision also serves as a reminder for foreign visitors planning to drive in Thailand. Heavy trucks are commonly parked along road shoulders and frontage roads while drivers take mandatory rest breaks or wait to continue their journeys. Depending on the location and lighting conditions, these vehicles may be parked close to active traffic lanes and can be difficult to detect, particularly before dawn or at night. Authorities have not determined the cause of the collision, and it remains unclear whether speed, visibility, driver fatigue or other factors contributed to the crash. The investigation is continuing.
