Van, container truck smash injures 22 schoolchildren
Twenty-two students were injured after a container fell off a trailer truck onto their student van in Chon Buri's Bang Lamung district yesterday. The accident took place at 7am on the bypass number 36 (Krathing Lai- Rayong) in Tambon Nong Pla Lai.
Police found the wrecked van in the middle of the road while the 22 injured Prathom and kindergarten students were receiving first aid. Eight students were seriously injured and taken to Bangkok Hospital Pattaya, while others who were less seriously hurt waited for parents to pick them up.
Van driver Manit Singsomboon, 57, told police he was transporting the students to Srisuwit School when he reached the road curve where another pick-up truck had already been in a separate accident. He slowed down as the oncoming trailer truck apparently lost control, swaying from side to side until a container fell on to the van, Manit said.
Trailer truck driver Natthapol Phokha said he tried to brake to avoid the pick-up truck and swerved to the side when he saw the van. He turned in the opposite direction to miss it when the container fell off.
