Motorcyclist killed in collision with wild elephant in Chachoengsao

A tragic incident occurred when a couple on a motorcycle collided with a wild elephant late at night, resulting in the husband’s death and the wife’s injury. The woman, still in shock, reported having no memory of the event.

Phanom Rescue Radio Centre received a distress call yesterday at 11pm about a fatal elephant attack in Ang Rue Nai Forest, in the Ban Ang Sua Dam area, Moo 7, Tha Takiap Subdistrict, Tha Takiap District, Chachoengsao Province. Rescue teams, along with the village headman, were dispatched to the scene.

There, they discovered a damaged motorcycle lying on the roadside. Nearby, they found the body of 50 year old Boonmee, lying on his back, wearing blue shorts and a white T-shirt. His chest bore a fatal wound from an elephant tusk that had pierced through his back.

Close to the deceased, 35 year old Dorarak, Boonmee’s wife, was found injured and disoriented. She revealed that she had been unconscious during the incident. Dorarak recounted that she had been sleeping at home when her husband came to pick her up for their routine task of collecting rubber. The area was quite dark as they rode their motorcycle.

Dorarak further explained that upon reaching the accident site, they suddenly collided with an elephant. She was thrown from the motorcycle and lost consciousness. When she regained consciousness, she saw her husband bleeding profusely but was too frightened to approach him. She sought help from nearby villagers.

She continued by saying that she called the police but it was too late as her husband had likely died upon impact with the elephant. Due to her disorientation and shoulder injury, she struggled to recall the exact sequence of events but emphasised that the motorcycle was moving quickly and they couldn’t brake in time to avoid the elephant, reported KhaoSod.

The accident site is within the Ban Ang Sua Dam area, known for the frequent nocturnal movements of wild elephants. Villagers in this area are typically very cautious at night due to the presence of the elephants. Preliminary examinations were conducted on the deceased, and the body was handed over to his relatives by the Phanom rescue team for traditional funeral rites.