Tourist minivan crash in Mae Hong Son injures seven: Steep route and driver inexperience blamed
A tourist minivan lost control on a curve in Mae Hong Son, crashing into guardrails and a tree, leaving multiple passengers injured. The crash took place yesterday, in the Ban Rak Thai area.
The minivan, carrying seven tourists from Sing Buri province, was travelling back from Ban Rak Thai, a popular Yunnan Chinese tourist village.
The vehicle, a Toyota with a Suphan Buri license plate, was severely damaged to the extent that the front doors wouldn’t open. The driver and the passenger sitting beside him suffered injuries and were rescued through the window.
In total, two people suffered severe injuries and five others sustained minor ones. All injured were taken to Sri Sangwan Mae Hong Son Hospital for treatment.
The accident occurred near the Pha Suea Waterfall on a steep, curvy downhill road. The driver, unfamiliar with the route, lost control of the minivan causing it to hit the guardrail and a tree before it came to a halt. Besides the front passengers, the back passengers only sustained minor injuries, reported KhaoSod.
The route from Mok Cham Pae subdistrict to Ban Rak Thai is known for its steep, narrow uphill and downhill paths.
Accidents occur here annually, mostly due to drivers not being familiar with the route and lacking experience in mountain driving. Additionally, vehicle conditions also contribute to these accidents.
Authorities in Mae Hong Son are making efforts to prevent such accidents on this route. However, before the full-scale tourist season could commence, this accident had already taken place. The Mae Hong Son authorities promise a thorough investigation into the accident’s cause to prevent future incidents and mitigate impacts on tourism.
Two weeks ago, a tourist vehicle overturned on Doi Inthanon, resulting in injuries to six passengers. The accident happened near kilometres 32-33 on the route to Doi Inthanon, a mountain located in the Ban Luang district of Chom Thong, Chiang Mai. The injured passengers had to crawl out of the wrecked Toyota Fortuner. To read more click HERE
