Retail tycoon dies after Mercedes crashes and caused blackout
A retail business owner died at the scene after losing control of his Mercedes-Benz and crashing into multiple power poles in Bueng Kan province, triggering a city-wide power outage in the early hours of Friday.
Police from Seka Police Station said the crash occurred at about 3.00am on January 10 on Highway 2026, the Seka–Bueng Khong Long road, near Ban Chok Amnuey in Tha Kok Daeng subdistrict, Seka district. The vehicle left the roadway, struck a series of utility poles, and caught fire.
Pol Lt Oral Wongchak, a deputy investigator at Seka Police Station, said officers were alerted by the 191 emergency radio centre and coordinated with local rescue foundations and firefighters to attend the scene.
When emergency services arrived, a white Mercedes-Benz was found fully ablaze on the roadside near Nong Hing Witthaya School. Firefighters from the Tha Kok Daeng Subdistrict Administrative Organisation worked to control the flames while rescue workers attempted cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the driver. The man was later pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver was identified as a 30-year-old local retail store owner in Seka district. Police withheld his full name. His body was examined by a medical officer from Seka Hospital before being released to relatives for funeral rites.
Investigators confirmed that five high-voltage electricity poles were knocked down during the crash, resulting in a widespread power outage across parts of the district. Electricity authorities were notified and carried out emergency repairs to restore supply.
CCTV footage obtained from a nearby residence shows the Mercedes-Benz travelling at speed from left to right along the road. Less than a minute later, a loud impact is heard, followed by the sound of a power pole breaking and an electrical explosion linked to a short circuit from a 115-kilovolt transmission line.
Police said initial findings suggest the driver may have fallen asleep at the wheel, causing the vehicle to veer off the road before colliding with the poles and catching fire. No other vehicles were involved in the incident.
The Bueng Kan forensic team has been assigned to examine the wreckage an
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