School van driver fined 2000 baht for railway crossing violation
A school van driver handed himself over to Lop Buri police after footage emerged showing his vehicle crossing railway tracks as a train approached. The driver, 55 year old Sangwan, said it was his first day on the route and he was unfamiliar with the area.
The incident occurred on May 23, when the school van, coming from Phrachai Junction in Mueang district, Lop Buri, attempted to cross the railway while the barriers were descending, aiming to reach Kosapan Alley. The move was considered a violation of traffic signals.
Pol. Maj. Gen. Banyong Santipreechawat, commander of the Lop Buri provincial police, ordered an urgent investigation. Officers from Tha Hin police station were tasked with locating the van and summoning the driver for questioning. CCTV footage captured the van’s registration, which was Bangkok-registered, allowing police to track down Sangwan.
Sangwan told investigators he was transporting students from Tha Wung district to various schools. On that day, he was taking five students to a second school after dropping others off at a separate location. Being his first day on the job, he was unfamiliar with the route’s railway crossing signals. As he approached the tracks, he said he only noticed one side of the barriers lowering and did not see the barrier directly ahead, prompting him to stop the vehicle to assess the situation.
Police charged Sangwan with violating railway crossing signals, failing to stop at a safe distance of 15 metres from the railway, and related vehicle operation offences. He was fined 2,000 baht, reported KhaoSod.
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