BANGKOK, Thailand – A heavily loaded timber truck suffered brake failure and slammed into multiple vehicles on Ratchaphruek Road, killing one person and injuring several others in a serious chain collision near the Bang Wa area, April 24.
Police from Bang Khun Thian Police Station responded to the crash near the interchange close to Bang Wa BTS station in Phasi Charoen district, where the accident occurred on a downhill section of the road leading toward Phetkasem.
At the scene, a 10-wheel Isuzu truck carrying a full load of eucalyptus logs was found crushing three motorcycles beneath it. Two riders were trapped under the truck, including a 50-year-old motorcycle taxi driver, while another unidentified man was also seriously injured.
In front of the truck, a black MG sedan was severely crushed between the timber truck and a cement mixer truck. The impact killed a 55-year-old man at the scene, while two others inside the car were trapped and later rescued using hydraulic cutting tools.
The crash also involved a taxi, which spun and struck a road barrier, leaving both the driver and a passenger injured. In total, seven vehicles were damaged in the accident.
Rescue teams from the Poh Teck Tung Foundation and medical personnel transported the injured to nearby hospitals, including Bangpakok 9 International Hospital and Siriraj Hospital.
The truck driver, a 67-year-old man, sustained minor injuries and told police that his brakes failed as he descended the bridge in wet conditions following rainfall. He said the heavy load made it impossible to stop the vehicle, even after attempting emergency measures.
Police are preparing charges of reckless driving causing death and injury. The truck will also undergo a mechanical inspection, and additional charges may be filed if safety violations are found.
