Northeast Thailand: Pickup truck driver charged for death of 13 year old schoolboy in road accident

An accident occurred at a zebra crossing yesterday, December 26, where a 13 year old schoolboy got hit by a speeding pickup truck while crossing the road on his way home.

A soldier with the rank of sergeant was driving a pickup truck, when the vehicle hit the boy, the impact causing his body to be thrown off the road. The schoolboy died on the spot. Villagers warned of dangerous spots in the area.

“It’s actually a zebra crossing. But it’s a straight road so cars speed past.”

The driver, 29 year old Corporal Satya Mompanao, a soldier belonging to Military Base Camp 22, Ubon Ratchathani, hit the 13 year old, a year 1 student at a high school in Ubon Ratchathani Province, causing his death when the boy tried to cross the road near a zebra crossing. The schoolboy was dragged along by the pickup for nearly 50 metres.

CCTV footage from a camera near a used car tire shop captured the moment the deceased was hit by Corporal Satya’s pickup truck. The boy laid face down, motionless, in the middle of the road. The car behind was able to brake in time but the schoolboy suffered severe injuries and died at the scene.

A news team went to the area to investigate the scene of the accident. The incident site is a four-lane straight road where most cars race by in high speeds. Thanyapat Khamdaeng, a villager near the scene reported that the location of the incident was a straight road in a community area. Vehicles that pass by tend to speed. When the incident occurred, Thanyapat was sitting in front of his house repairing his car and didn’t witness the moment that the pickup hit the boy. He only heard a loud noise, reported Channel 7 News.

Cautionary tale

The deceased schoolboy usually took the bus and got off on the side of the road on his journey home from school. Then he would walk across the zebra crossing to get to his house every day. Villagers asked motorists in the area to slow down as the scene of the accident is the entrance to the village where people regularly cross the road. A zebra crossing is designated for pedestrians to cross over to the other side.

The body of the deceased schoolboy is still at the forensic department of Sunpasitthiprasong Hospital, Ubon Ratchathani. The driver of the pickup truck, Corporal Satya, as well as the boy’s relatives were present. The body will be taken back to perform religious rites. Local police are preparing to file charges of dangerous driving causing the death of another.