BANGKOK– A speeding pickup truck crashed into a fuel tanker carrying 41,000 litres of diesel, causing the tanker to overturn and slide along the road in Kamphaeng Phet Province . Fire engines had to spray foam and water to stop a second explosion risk. The road was closed while rescue teams worked in tense conditions. The pickup driver died in the wreck, and two others were injured.
Police Lt Col Pratya Thabankhong, an investigator from Mueang Kamphaeng Phet Police Station, told reporters he received a report of a serious collision between a fuel tanker and a pickup truck, with several people trapped inside both vehicles. He went to the scene together with the Sawang Kamphaeng Phet rescue team.
The crash happened on Phahonyothin Road (outbound side) in Moo 8, Pak Dong Municipality, Taitrong Subdistrict, Mueang Kamphaeng Phet District. At the scene, officers found a large fuel tanker and a black Ford 4-door pickup had collided. The pickup was destroyed. One person was found dead, trapped inside the cab. He was later identified as Mr Jirasin Semaepian, aged 29, a resident of Kamphaeng Phet Province.
The fuel trailer had overturned, then skidded along the road, almost reaching the central reservation. Diesel fuel flowed across a wide stretch of the road. Checks showed that the tanker was carrying 41,000 litres of diesel. Traffic in the area came to a standstill. Officers closed the outbound lanes and used the inbound side as a two-way route so vehicles could still pass.
Police and rescue workers could not reach the injured in both vehicles straight away because of the strong smell of fuel and the risk of fire. They called in Pak Dong Municipality fire engines to spray water and foam to cool the area and reduce the chance of an explosion or blaze.
After that, almost 10 fire engines from nearby municipalities and subdistrict administrative organisations joined in, spraying water continuously over both the tanker and the pickup so rescuers could work safely and reach those trapped inside.
Rescue teams later managed to free two injured people from the tanker and rushed them to Kamphaeng Phet Hospital. The body of the pickup driver was still stuck inside the crushed cab. A crane was brought in to lift the wrecked pickup so officers could remove the deceased.
The operation took almost two hours before they could finally recover the body. Rescue workers then took the deceased to Kamphaeng Phet Hospital for a detailed post-mortem examination.
When the family of the victim arrived at the scene, they broke down in tears. They told officers that the deceased had gone to help with a friend’s wedding in Wang Sai Subdistrict, Khlong Khlung District, earlier that morning with two other friends.
Later that night, they were told about the accident. One of the friends who had been with the victim came over, hugged the grieving relatives, and cried over what had happened.
CCTV from the junction showed the moment the black 4-door pickup driven by Mr Jirasin came out quickly from Pak Dong – Khlong Sombun Road without braking. The vehicle ran straight into the large fuel trailer that was travelling along Phahonyothin Road (outbound). After the collision, the tanker rolled onto its side, slid along the road, and leaked a large amount of diesel.
Later, Mr Anucha Patsathan, Deputy Governor of Kamphaeng Phet, went to the site with Mr Chokchai Rakkauea, Mueang Kamphaeng Phet District Chief, provincial disaster prevention officers, Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Region 8 staff, provincial energy officials, officers from Mueang Kamphaeng Phet Police Station, the Department of Rural Roads, the Mayor of Pak Dong Municipality, the Mayor of Taitrong Municipality, and other related agencies.
They inspected the scene, looked at safety measures, and planned how to reopen the road as soon as possible.
Because diesel was still seeping from the tanker, officers had to let the remaining fuel drain out in a controlled way while fire engines constantly sprayed foam over the area. Only after that could they move the tanker from the scene. Officials stayed on duty at the site all through the night until the morning to watch for any flare-ups and keep the area safe.
