Drowsy driver crashes tour bus into power pole, injuring 36
A terrifying late-night crash left 36 passengers injured after a tour bus veered off the road and smashed into a high-voltage power pole in Phetchaburi. Nine passengers were reportedly American citizens.
The shocking incident, which occurred at 3.54am, today, March 14, was caused by the driver falling asleep at the wheel.
Police Colonel Thip Khengkhum, Superintendent of Khao Yoi Police Station, received reports of the crash on Phetkasem Road, near the Pho Kaew Rice Mill underpass in Khao Yoi District.
Emergency responders from Khao Yoi Hospital and the Sawang Sarapetch Thammasathan Foundation rushed to the scene to assist the victims.
The bus, bearing a Bangkok-Ranong route number, was completely wrecked after slamming into the pole, which snapped in half upon impact.
Among the 36 passengers on board, 15 were Thai tourists, 12 were Burmese, and 9 were American. Paramedics worked quickly to transport the injured to Khao Yoi Hospital and Phra Chom Klao Hospital, with three individuals reported in critical condition.
Investigators questioned the driver, 58 year old Rakchat (surname withheld), who admitted to dozing off while driving from Ranong to Bangkok. As he drifted into sleep, he lost control of the vehicle, leading to the devastating crash.
Pol. Col. Thip personally supervised the response efforts, ensuring the victims were cared for. In a compassionate act, he even used his own money to buy noodles for the stranded passengers before coordinating an alternative bus to continue their journey, reported KhaoSod.
Police are now investigating whether legal action will be taken against the driver and are reviewing road safety measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
In similar news, a tragic accident on Highway 11 in Nakhon Sawan claimed the life of a young passenger after a driver fell asleep at the wheel.
At around 2.40am on March 7, a Toyota pickup truck crashed into the back of a parked 18-wheeler, causing severe damage. Emergency responders from Takli Police Station and the Ruamkatanyu Foundation arrived at the scene in Phrom Nimitr subdistrict, finding the pickup wrecked and filled with tools.
The driver, a snooker table installer, sustained head injuries but survived. Sadly, his nephew was pronounced dead at the scene, his life cut short by a broken neck.
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