Indonesian man, Thai woman hospitalised after crashing truck into electric pole during rainshower

PHUKET: The collision force in the latest wet-road accident on the north of the island caused a pickup truck to split in half after its driver lost control during a rainshower and crashed into road side electric pole on Sunday afternoon.

Two occupants of the vehicle reportedly suffered unspecified but non-critical injuries,rescue workers reported. 

At 2.30pm on Sunday (August 28) Thachadchai Police were informed by a good samaritan that there had been an accident involving a truck crashing into an electron pole along Thepkrasattri Rd, at the curve between the Ban Bang Duk and Ban Mak Prok locales in Thalang's Mai Khao sub district.

Police, along with Kusoldharm rescue reported to the scene, where on the side of the southbound lanes of the road there was a wrecked bronze-coloured Mazda pick-up truck with Phuket license plates.

The bed of the pickup truck had nearly completely separated from the cab, and a wheel had also come loose and seperated from the vehicle. A concrete electric pole a few metres away was damaged at its base, and was leaning towards the road but had not fallen down.  

Police named the two persons injured in the accident as Mr Tranggielia Lokon Parengkuan, 44, an Indonesian national, and Ms Palawi Khamsieng, 27, who was identified as the driver.

Both were transported Thalang Hospital, where they were treated for unspecified injuries. 

Police reported that the pair had just returned from a business trip in Krabi and during the time of the accident, it had reportedly been raining causing the road to become slippery, causing the driver of the vehicle to lose control of the the vehicle at the curve.

Police did not mention excessive speed as a factor in the accident but said the investigation had yet to be concluded. 

Local residents at the scene of the accident reported that an hour before the latest accident, an 18-wheel lorry had caused long traffic delays when it blocked southbound flowing traffic after its driver lost control at the Suan Maprao curve nearby.

The residents took the opportunity to urge commuters to exercise caution at several dangerous curves on the north of the island, including those at Ban Bangduk, Suan Maprao and Koh En, where accidents are all-too-frequent. 

Source: Indonesian man, Thai woman hospitalised after crashing truck into electric pole during rainshower