Emergency greens: Ambulance meets veggie truck in crunchy collision in central Thailand
An ambulance rushing to pick up a patient was involved in a severe collision with a vegetable-carrying truck at a red light intersection in central Thailand. The incident, which occurred today, caused significant damage to both vehicles and injured three people, including the ambulance driver and a medical officer.
The ambulance, belonging to Chulabhorn Hospital 304 Inter, was travelling urgently through the red light when it was hit by an Isuzu D-Max truck at a crossroad on Route 359, Khao Hin Sorn-Sa Kaeo, in Sri Maha Phot, Prachin Buri. The collision resulted in the ambulance overturning in the middle of the road, injuring three people on board. Two of the injured, the driver and a paramedic from the hospital, suffered severe injuries.
Emergency medical personnel rushed to the scene to provide initial care before transporting the injured to the hospital. The truck, with a full load of vegetables, had also flipped over on the road, and its front was severely damaged.
Investigations revealed that Chulabhorn Hospital 304 had received an emergency call from the 1669 hotline to pick up a patient in the area. The ambulance, with two medical personnel and the driver, was making its way to the scene with its emergency lights on. As it was turning right at the traffic light intersection, it was hit by the oncoming truck, reported KhaoSod.
The 49 year old truck driver, Wirat, argued that he had the green light and did not spot the ambulance. He said he would have slowed down if he had seen the ambulance, as he always did whenever he heard the siren.
He only noticed the ambulance when it was directly in front of his vehicle, by which time it was too late to avoid the collision. He was transporting nearly two tonnes of coriander from Wang Nam Yen to Ratchaburi province at the time of the accident.
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