PATTAYA, Thailand — A pickup truck overturned after its driver reportedly blacked out, crashing into a flashing warning light and colliding with a sedan on Road 36 (Krathing Lai–Rayong Road) inbound to Pattaya on January 5.
Police from Banglamung Police Station, along with rescue workers from the Sawang Boriboon, responded to the incident at around 1:00 p.m. The crash occurred near the U-turn by Wat Santikham in Nong Pla Lai subdistrict.
At the scene, a green Toyota Vigo four-door pickup truck (Rayong registration) was found overturned in the middle of the road, with mechanic tools scattered across the roadway. The driver, identified as Somnuek Mekkhiao, 52, originally from Trat province, sustained minor injuries.
Nearby at the U-turn, a white Mazda 2 sedan (Bangkok registration) was found parked with damage to its rear window. The driver, Ms. Treenapa Phukboonchuay, 37, remained at the scene to give a statement to police.
Somnuek told officers that he is a boat mechanic and had been driving from Rayong to Banglamung to repair a boat. While traveling in the right lane, he suddenly felt faint near the crash site, lost control of the vehicle, struck a flashing warning light, and sideswiped the sedan that was waiting to make a U-turn before the pickup overturned.
Ms. Treenapa’s mother, who was riding in the sedan, said they were traveling from Rayong toward Chonburi but had taken a wrong route. While stopped at the U-turn and following GPS instructions, the pickup truck crashed into the warning light, sending debris into the rear window of their car.
Bang Lamung police documented the scene and will further question Somnuek after he receives treatment at Bhattamakhun Hospital in Pattaya, before proceeding with legal steps.
