Gruesome road accident ends in fatal blaze, stokes fear in Udon Thani community
An unidentified 45 year old man suffered an untimely death when an apparently minor car accident escalated into a horrifying blaze. The incident, which left locals unable to assist despite witnessing it first-hand, occurred yesterday on the road linking the villages of Sam Phrao and Nong Khae in Mueang district in Udon Thani province.
At the scene, police discovered a completely burnt-out Mitsubishi Strada, registration number บว2368. In the driver’s seat was the dead man, half ejected from the door, suggesting he attempted to escape but failed. A grass cutter, believed to be the man’s, was later recovered from the roadside. It was revealed that the deceased man was a second-hand car dealer of Lao heritage, married to a local woman, and primarily worked selling mowed grass and timber.
Pol. Lt. Theeraphap Phukhansai, an investigating official of the Udon Thani City Police Station, speculated the car might have ignited due to an engine malfunction or contact between leaking fuel and a broken electrical line. The blaze may also have originated from the exposed exhaust pipe, given the presence of a lawnmower in the passenger compartment. However, further investigation is still underway to confirm the cause, reported KhaoSod.
Witnessing the shocking incident, a community resident, 59 year old Ann, shared her account.
“I heard an explosion twice from the direction of the car, then I saw smoke coming out of the front of the vehicle. The fire broke out instantly. I was terrified, helpless. It’s very heartbreaking to see a person die violently, trapped in the car, right before your eyes.”
Karnchai Kamphasi, a 58 year old villager, offered his perspective on the blaze. Karnchai, who was riding his motorbike at the time, recounted how he followed the ill-fated vehicle for a short while and noticed an explosion in the driver’s cabin, shattering both side windows.
The driver pulled over, but soon the vehicle was engulfed in flames. Karnchai tried to help but was unsuccessful when the fire escalated quickly, leading to the driver sustaining fatal injuries and leaving Karnchay and others at the scene powerless to help.
