Toyota Fortuner crash injures six migrants after police chase

A Toyota Fortuner carrying nine illegal migrant workers flipped over multiple times after attempting to evade a police checkpoint, leaving several injured. The incident occurred around 1am yesterday, August 13, when officers from Sam Roi Yot Police Station set up a checkpoint on the Pranburi-Khao Daeng rural road at Ban Bang Pu intersection in Sam Roi Yot district, Prachuap Khiri Khan province.

While inspecting passing vehicles, the police signalled a Toyota Fortuner with Bangkok licence plates to stop. The driver, however, sped off instead. The police gave chase, leading to a dramatic and dangerous pursuit. The vehicle, packed with nine migrant workers, approached a sharp bend near Khao Yai in Kui Buri district.

The area, characterised by its sharp curves and complete darkness due to the lack of street lighting, proved treacherous. The driver lost control, and the vehicle veered off the road, flipping multiple times before coming to a halt, severely damaged.

Police and rescue teams arrived on the scene and discovered cries of pain emanating from the wreckage. Inside, they found Myanmar migrant workers, both men and women, crammed tightly together. Six individuals were injured, comprising three men and three women, and were promptly transported to Sam Roi Yot Hospital for treatment. The remaining three men, who were unharmed, were taken into custody.

In addition, a man was discovered lying motionless in nearby bushes. Initially presumed dead, the rescue team was startled when the individual suddenly raised his hand and cried out in pain. Identified as Sombat from Nakhon Pathom province, he was the driver of the vehicle.

It is believed he was ejected from the car during the crash. He sustained severe injuries and was rushed to Kui Buri Hospital for further medical attention, reported KhaoSod.

Upon questioning the Myanmar migrants, police learnt that all nine had hired a Thai driver to transport them from Chon Buri province to Phuket for work. While travelling on Phetkasem Road, they encountered a police checkpoint and decided to divert onto a village road to avoid detection.

This manoeuvre eventually led them to the police checkpoint, where the pursuit began, culminating in the accident.