PHRAE, Thailand – Two members of a senior football team from Phrae and Nan were killed and two others seriously injured after a shipping container broke loose from a truck and crashed into their car in Den Chai district on Saturday, Sept 19. The accident occurred on the Den Chai–Uttaradit road at kilometre 357+400 in Huai Rai subdistrict. Police from Huai Rai Police Station, medical personnel from Somdet Phra Yupparat Den Chai Hospital and rescue workers were called to the scene.
Police found a truck registered in Chiang Rai overturned near a concrete road barrier on a downhill curve. Its container had broken loose and crossed into the opposite lane, where it struck a white Honda CR-V travelling from Den Chai towards Uttaradit. The CR-V, registered in Nan, was severely damaged and was found in grass and woodland beside the road. Four people inside were seriously injured and taken to hospital. Two of them later died. They were identified as 70-year-old Pol. Lt. Rt. Nattheepat, a resident of Long district in Phrae, and 70-year-old Decha, a resident of Mueang Nan district in Nan.
The four victims were members of a senior northern football team from Phrae and Nan. They were travelling to Phitsanulok to compete in a football match scheduled for 8 a.m. on September 20.
After learning of the deaths, the team’s remaining members decided to withdraw from the match. The loss reportedly left teammates shocked and deeply distressed.
The truck driver told police he had travelled from Nakhon Si Thammarat. As he entered Den Chai district, the truck reportedly lost control while travelling downhill through a curve, causing the container to swing and break loose from the trailer before crossing into the opposite lane. Police took the truck driver to Huai Rai Police Station for questioning. Investigators are continuing to examine the circumstances of the crash before proceeding with legal action.
