Van crash causes Phuket transformer explosion, driver electrocuted
Fatal outcome escalates when electric infrastructure heightens crash aftermath
A van lost control and crashed into a power pole, causing a transformer explosion, which resulted in the driver being electrocuted at the wheel. The accident, which had no other vehicles involved, is suspected to have been caused by the driver falling asleep.
At 1.20am today, May 15, Police Lieutenant Fonthip Kaewsaen, an investigator at Wichit Police Station, received a report of a van accident in Soi Thep Anusorn, Wichit subdistrict, Mueang district, Phuket province. The van collided with a high-voltage power pole, resulting in an explosion and fire that engulfed the vehicle, trapping the driver inside.
The incident was reported to Police Colonel Somsak Thongkliang, the superintendent of Wichit Police Station, and emergency services from the Kusoltham Phuket Foundation and Bangkok Hospital Phuket, along with a forensic pathologist from Vachira Phuket Hospital, were dispatched to the scene.
Upon arrival, a silver-grey Toyota van with the registration plate 31-7485 Phuket was found severely damaged at the front, with the pole leaning against it. The presence of a live electrical current necessitated the intervention of the Phuket Provincial Electricity Authority to cut the power.
Inside the van, the body of 29 year old driver Thanakorn Patavong was discovered, having been electrocuted and sustaining burns, with his legs trapped under the wheel.
Rescue personnel from the Kusoltham Phuket Foundation used hydraulic equipment in an attempt to extract the body through the van’s door. However, the process was hindered by the power pole resting on the vehicle, requiring assistance from a large crane from the Provincial Electricity Authority. It took nearly two hours to safely remove the body.
A witness recounted hearing the sound of the vehicle losing control and crashing, initially unable to identify the type of vehicle involved. Upon closer inspection, the witness saw it was a van with the driver inside attempting to exit.
Moments later, the transformer exploded on the driver’s side, igniting a fire. Employees from a nearby convenience store used fire extinguishers to help douse the flames.
The incident, which lasted approximately 30 minutes, occurred as the van travelled alone from Chao Fa West Road, marking the first accident of its kind at this location, reported KhaoSod.
Preliminary investigations suggest the accident may have been caused by the driver falling asleep. The driver’s body was transported to Vachira Phuket Hospital for a detailed autopsy before being released to his family for funeral arrangements.
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