RAYONG, Thailand – A food vendor was injured after her van slammed into a large wild elephant crossing a major highway in Rayong before dawn on Monday, leaving the vehicle severely damaged and prompting wildlife officials to launch an urgent search for the animal. The crash happened at around 3:15 a.m. on August 10 in front of Pa Yup Nai Subdistrict Administrative Organisation on Route 344, the Ban Bueng–Klaeng road, near kilometre marker 71 in the direction of Klaeng district.
Rescue workers found the passenger van with its front end heavily crushed. The windshield had shattered, while the roof and bonnet were badly caved in from the impact with the elephant.
The driver, a woman who sells prepared food, suffered cuts to her head and face. Her son and rescue personnel assisted her before she was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Her son, Thanadon, said his mother had been driving the van loaded with supplies to prepare food for sale that morning. As she travelled along the road, she noticed a large shadow ahead.
Because it was still dark, she initially thought the shape might have been a large tree or branches blocking the road. By the time she realized it was an elephant, the animal was too close for her to stop.
The van struck the elephant heavily. The animal reportedly cried out before moving toward a canal and disappearing into woodland beside the road. Wildlife elephant tracking teams and other agencies immediately began searching the area for the animal. Officials said they wanted to determine whether it had been injured and provide treatment if necessary.
Authorities warned motorists using Route 344, particularly at night and in areas known to be frequented by wild elephants, to slow down and remain alert. Drivers who encounter an elephant should not honk their horns or rev their engines to drive it away. Instead, they should stop at a safe distance and allow the animal time to move away. Officials also said the elephant involved was believed not to be “Phlai Mamuang,” a well-known wild elephant in the area, because the animal seen at the crash site appeared smaller. The incident highlights the continuing risk of encounters between motorists and wild elephants on roads passing through areas where the animals move between forest habitats. (TNA)
