Village headman dies after vehicle slides into Chumphon canal
A tragic accident occurred when a 51 year old village headman died after his vehicle slid into a canal overnight. The incident took place near the Chumphon-Thasae road in Chumphon province, leaving the local community in shock after the discovery.
Police Lieutenant Nirunat Netrak from the Chumphon City Police Station received a report of the fatal accident, where a man was found drowned inside a pickup truck. The vehicle, a blue Toyota Tiger with the registration number บล 5381, was found nose-down in a roadside canal with the rear resting on the grass, about 5 meters above the asphalt road.
Rescue teams and locals worked together to open the vehicle’s door to drain the water and used a crane with a sling to extract the vehicle, taking over an hour to complete the operation.
Inside the pickup truck, the lifeless body of Samit Suwannanim was discovered. His body had started to stiffen, suggesting he had been deceased for at least eight hours.
Rescue teams found several personal items in the vehicle, including cash, clothing, and a hat. Among these was a wallet containing Samit’s identification card, which confirmed his identity.
It also held a state officer card highlighting his role as the village headman of Moo 3 in Thung Kha subdistrict. Police collected these items as evidence.
Chumphon accident
The accident scene investigation revealed tyre marks indicating the vehicle’s speed before it skidded off a small dirt road leading to a local residence, eventually falling into the canal. A neighbouring resident, 53 year old Vallop Prasarawut, whose house is only 50 meters from the accident site, shared his account.
He mentioned that his brother noticed the vehicle in the canal during the morning visit. Despite the proximity, Vallop did not hear the accident occur the previous night due to the usual noise from vehicles on the nearby main road. He only discovered the incident in the morning and promptly informed the police.
Initial assumptions suggest that Samit might have been reversing his vehicle when he failed to notice the steep drop, resulting in the truck slipping into the canal. Trapped inside and unable to open the door, he tragically drowned. The incident’s nighttime occurrence meant that there were no witnesses to provide immediate assistance, reported KhaoSod.
Police officers have gathered all relevant evidence from the scene and arranged for a thorough autopsy at Chumphon Khet Udomsak Hospital. The police are also in the process of notifying Samit’s family about the tragic event.
