Brake failure blamed after fatal truck crash at Chon Buri toll gate
Police suspect truck driver of falling asleep at wheel
A 10-wheel truck crashed into a toll booth in Chon Buri, leaving one person dead and three others injured. The driver blamed brake failure for the fatal accident.
Highway Police officers were alerted to the accident at Phanat Nikhom Toll Gate in Don Hua Ror sub-district, Chon Buri, at about 2.30pm yesterday, September 1. Officers arrived at the scene along with rescuers from the Trai Kunnadham Foundation.
According to the police report, the white 10-wheel truck was crushed against a tree on the side of the road, its front completely destroyed. The driver, 45 year old Aryu Kluichim, was trapped in the wrecked cabin. Rescuers managed to free him and rushed him to the hospital.
A maid, 66 year old Malai Sinsorn, was found trapped beneath the truck. The rescue team urgently pulled her out and attempted CPR, but were unable to save her life. Two other toll gate workers were also injured.
A witness to the incident, toll worker 34 year old Montri Thipkaew, told ThaiRath that he saw the truck speeding towards the booth where he and three colleagues were sitting. He and another male colleague managed to escape, but Malai and another worker could not.
Aryu told police he had been driving from Rayong province to Amata City, Chon Buri Industrial Estate. As he entered the toll gate, he claimed he was unable to slow down due to brake failure and crashed into the booth.
Police said specialists would be called in to determine whether the brakes had indeed failed, and they would also investigate whether Aryu had fallen asleep at the wheel.
A similar incident occurred earlier in January, where 32 Russian tourists were injured after their coach crashed into a toll gate in Pattaya. The driver claimed he lost control after a brake failure.
Another similar incident occurred just a month later in February when a minivan crashed into a toll gate in Samut Prakan near Bangkok. A Japanese passenger was killed, and police suspected the driver had fallen asleep as there were no signs of him braking prior to the crash.
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