High-speed songthaew accident injures student in Samut Prakan
A blue songthaew taxi travelling at high speed caused a female student to fall off the vehicle, resulting in injuries. The driver claimed that the student jumped off the vehicle herself, while a witness reported that the driver did not immediately assist the injured girl.
A CCTV camera captured the incident on Rattanarat Road, near Bang Bo intersection in Samut Prakan. The footage showed the blue songthaew making a sharp left turn that caused the standing student at the back to lose her balance and fall onto the road. Fortunately, a car following behind was able to brake in time, preventing a potentially more serious accident.
The accident occurred at 4pm, leading to immediate action from bystanders. Motorcycle taxi drivers and fellow students rushed to help the injured girl, coordinating with volunteers from the Ruam Katanyu Foundation at Bang Bo to transport her to Bang Bo Hospital.
The songthaew driver, 67 year old Sompong, recounted the event to reporters. He mentioned that he had noticed the student standing at the back of the vehicle without holding on. Despite his efforts to signal her to move inside by tapping on the window, she remained at the back. Sompong insisted that he was driving slowly and carefully when the student allegedly jumped out of the vehicle on her own.
“I am the oldest and most experienced driver in the group, and I always drive slowly.”
Meanwhile, another student who was on the songthaew shared a different perspective. According to this student, the driver was speeding from the moment they left the school.
“Whenever students needed to get off, the driver would brake suddenly, causing those at the back to lose their balance and fall over each other.”
The driver’s sharp turn near the Bang Bo intersection reportedly caused the girl to become dizzy and fall off the vehicle.
Road accident
A local vendor near the accident site provided more insight. The vendor claimed that after the girl fell, the driver did not immediately check on her. Instead, he continued to collect fares from other passengers before eventually going to see the injured student.
The vendor also mentioned that the driver appeared to blame the student for jumping off the vehicle.
“He was pointing and shouting, saying the student jumped off herself”
After completing his route, the driver returned to the scene, accompanied by police officers, who then took him to the police station for further questioning.
Residents in the area have expressed concerns about the driving habits of songthaew drivers on this route. According to locals, it is common to see these vehicles speeding, cutting lanes, and competing for passengers.
