Runaway truck causes Patong Hill pileup

KATHU: Tailbacks several miles long streamed from both sides of Patong Hill yesterday evening after a broken-down truck rolled backwards, setting off a chain reaction smash-up that left five cars and a motorbike damaged.

Maj Passakorn Sonthikun of Tung Tong Police in Kathu said, “About 5 pm, a six-wheeled truck broke down halfway up the hill on its way to Patong. So traffic police from Tung Tong Police Station started directing traffic around it.

“As the truck had broken down in the center lane, police were directing Patong-bound traffic past it in the left lane. However, a tour bus driver passed on the right side and scraped along the side of the truck,” he explained.

“The truck was dislodged from the rocks that were being used as chocks behind the wheels, and the truck started rolling down the hill.

“It rolled into a tuk-tuk that was right behind it, which was pushed into a Toyota Vios, which was pushed into three pickup trucks and a motorcycle,” he said.

“The tour company has refused to pay for the damage to the other vehicles, so I have charged the bus driver with careless driving. The damage is estimated at more than 300,000 baht. I think this bus was uninsured.”

However, Maj Passakorn declined to name the tour company.

“No people were injured and the bus driver has denied the charge. We are still collecting evidence to present this case in court,” he said.