Elderly truck driver found dead behind wheels in Samut Prakan

A 78 year old truck driver was found dead inside his ten-wheel lorry at a petrol station in Samut Prakan today, December 24, after spending more than 40 years behind the wheel of the same vehicle.

The body was discovered at a petrol station along King Kaew Road in Racha Thewa subdistrict, Bang Phli district, after station staff noticed that a truck which had been parked since early evening the previous day was still there with its engine running. Police from Bang Kaew Police Station were notified and coordinated with forensic doctors and rescue volunteers to inspect the scene.

Inside the truck, officers found the body of 78 year old Pramote slumped lifeless in the driver’s seat, with his right foot still on the accelerator pedal. The right-side door window had been left open, and the air conditioning was still on.

CH7 reported that investigators found no signs of struggle or physical injury and believed the man had been dead for at least 12 hours before their discovery. His remains were later sent for a post-mortem examination to determine the exact cause of death.

Petrol station employees told police the truck arrived at around 6pm yesterday, December 23, with the driver parking and leaving the engine running, which initially raised no concern. However, when the vehicle was still in the same spot the following morning with the engine running, staff checked inside and made the discovery.

The owner of the truck said the driver, who had worked with him for more than four decades, delivered a container from Lat Krabang to Bang Phli yesterday afternoon and planned to return to the depot later that day. Concern grew the next morning when the truck failed to return and calls went unanswered, until police answered the phone and delivered the news.

He added that the driver was known for being hardworking and insisted he had never forced him to take on excessive workloads, saying the man typically made only one trip per day. Despite his age, the driver continued working because he loved the job and chose to keep driving after retirement, even though he had been advised to rest due to his age.

In another truck driver incident, an 18-wheel truck driver reportedly fell asleep at the wheel and collided with a Nissan March, which was stationary at a red light on Phetkasem Road in Phang Nga province.