SATTAHIP, Thailand – A 550-kilogram cow was killed after being struck by a pickup truck on Route 332 in Sattahip on Aug. 20, after three cattle escaped and wandered onto the roadway. The incident occurred at about 8:30 p.m. near the J-Kasemphon intersection and the U-turn at Ban Rai Haeng Rak in Bang Saray, Sattahip district, Chonburi. Kled Kaew Subdistrict Municipality disaster prevention officials were alerted after three large cows were spotted walking in the middle of the road.
Officials arrived with an emergency vehicle and activated warning lights to alert motorists and prevent a further accident. However, while officers were trying to control the situation, one female cow suddenly ran across the road near the U-turn. At the same time, a white Chevrolet pickup truck, registration KH 6737 Nong Khai, was approaching. The driver reportedly could not see the animal because street lighting in the area was not functioning. The pickup struck the cow with considerable force.
The cow, weighing about 550 kilograms, died at the scene. The front of the pickup was heavily damaged, but the driver, 35-year-old Wiraphong Phunpermphon, was not injured. Wiraphong said he was returning home after finishing work selling food at the 700 Rai market. When he reached the scene, the damaged street lighting made visibility poor. He said he did not see the cow crossing the road in time to avoid the collision.
Wisuth Khumphai, 60, who was responsible for the cattle, later arrived at the scene. He said all three cows had disappeared from their pen at about 3 p.m. on Aug. 19. Wisuth said someone had reportedly been seen leading the cows away from the pen, raising suspicions that they may have been taken. After discovering the animals were missing, he searched for them but was unable to locate them.
Later that evening, he received a call saying the three cows had been spotted wandering along the road. He immediately went to retrieve them, but by the time he arrived, one cow had already been struck and killed. The other two became frightened and ran into nearby woodland. The location where the collision occurred was about five kilometers from the cattle pen.
Wisuth said he would take responsibility for the incident and compensate the pickup truck owner for the damage. He also apologized for what happened, maintaining that the cows had originally been secured inside their pen before someone apparently led them out. The incident has also raised concerns about road safety in the area, particularly the lack of functioning street lighting, which the pickup driver said contributed to his inability to see the cow crossing the road.
