Five teenagers were killed and four others injured when a speeding pickup truck returning from Sa Kaew’s Songkran celebration flipped and slid into a roadside ditch on Thursday night, police said.
Pol Colonel Setthanat Timwat, commander of Wang Nam Yen police station, said the accident happened at 9.50pm on Khao Chakan-Wang Nam Yen road about one kilometre from the Wang Nam Yen downtown.
Setthanat said three passengers died at the scene and another two died at the Wang Nam Yen district hospital.
The five deceased were identified as Thirachai Kaewprateep, 16, Pikanet Yuangpho, 17, Thirsak Phacharoen, 19, Siwakorn Banthit, 16, and Wutthipong Laothong, 17.
The four injured were identified as Aroon Boonmakul, 19, Thanakorn Sirimongkol, 19, Khathawut Thongkham, 19 and an unidentified teenage boy.
Two other passengers were unharmed.
Setthanat said police learned from relatives of the deceased and injured that the 11 teenagers were travelling home from celebrating Songkran in Sa Kaew’s Muang district.
The pickup was apparently speeding when it lost control and flipped when the driver swerved to the left to avoid a plastic barrier that had been placed in the road to create a temporary U-turn point. The pickup then flipped and slid into the ditch, said Setthanat.
The station commander said police had just stopped staffing an alcohol checkpoint on the road at 8pm. He said they will check whether the driver of the pickup had been drinking alcohol.
Sa Kaew’s Songkran celebration was held on Thursday, later than other provinces.
This requires no comment. What a senseless waste of precious young life. Our sincere condolences to all the bereaved families.
(Source:-The Nation, Thailand)