3 killed, 13 injured after cement truck crashes into ceremony procession

A cement truck driver fled the scene after crashing his vehicle into an ordination ceremony procession on a road in the Chuen Chom district of Maha Sarakham province in Isaan. Three people died and 13 were injured in the accident.

The incident happened yesterday at 2.30pm on Chiang Yuen-Kam Yai Road, also known as Rural Road No. 2268, in the Chuen Chom district of Mana Sarakham. Two-way traffic operates on the road with two lanes, and the accident spot was near the road’s curve.

Officers from Chuen Chom Police Station and three rescue teams rushed to the scene after being alerted. The officers discovered an overturned cement truck on a water course on the roadside but the driver was missing.

The deceased were identified as Suban Phandate, Sopha Kaewsommueng, and Tawin Wichapa. The other 13 people who were injured were sent to Khon Kaen and Chuen Chom Hospitals for further treatment. The victims were all guests attending an ordination ceremony of a local in the area.

A witness reported that the guests were standing on the road as part of the procession waiting to walk to a nearby temple. The motorists travelling past the area reduced their speeds after noticing the parade.

The cement truck was reportedly travelling at a high speed, lost control when approaching the curve, and crashed into another six-wheel truck on the road. This caused it to collide with a pickup before sliding into the group of people in the procession.

The cement truck driver took advantage of the chaos to flee the scene. The police would question witnesses and locals living nearby the scene to track down the suspect.

A similar incident occurred two days ago in the central province of Lopburi. In this case, the drunk driver, 47 year old Weerachai Nakkawan, crashed his sedan into an ordination ceremony at the temple. Ten people who were sitting on tables and eating food were injured, and two of them suffered serious injuries. The police reported that the incident was a result of a conflict between the suspect and the event host.