12 killed as 10-wheeler overturns in Loei
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Twelve workers were killed and 19 others injured when a 10-wheel truck carrying them to work in Nakhon Phanom lost control at what is considered "a dangerous curve" in the road in Loei's Phu Ruea district early Monday
After receiving a report about the accident at 2am, police rushed to the scene at the 23-24 kilometre marker on Wang Saphung-Phu Ruea Road and found that the truck had overturned and smashed into the road rail.
Nine of the victims diedinstantly from the impact and three others succumbed to injuries later.
The driver, Lert Mankong, who was slightly injured, said he was driving 26 sugarcane-cutters plus truck owner Sampao Poungkaew from Sukhothai to Nakhon Phanom’s Phon Sawan district in a modified double-decker truck. The passengers were in the lower deck, while the upper deck was used to carry a motorcycle and luggage.
The driver said he realised the brake was malfunctioning when he stepped on it while going downhill, which is when he lost control of the vehicle and slammed into the road rail.
He said he chose to purposely slam into the rail because if he hadn’t, the truck would have fallen into an abyss and nobody would have survived.
