Three injured in 12-vehicle pile-up in Bangkok
An 18-wheel truck lost control on the down ramp of a Ramkhamhaeng Road flyover in Bangkok's Bang Kapi district, crashing into two vehicles and causing a chain reaction that caught up a dozen vehicles late on Tuesday night.
Police said four vehicles caught fire and three people were injured in the accident at 10.30pm near the Lam Salee Intersection.
Police arrested the driver of the truck, Suwachat Pruprong, 24, on a charge of reckless driving causing injuries and property damage. They also tested him for drugs and are awaiting the results.
Suwachat claimed he had braked hard after a motorcycle cut across his path, but lost control before hitting a taxi that was stopped at the intersection’s red light. The force of the impact shunted cars against each other like billiard balls.
Four cars burst into flames, requiring the intervention of fire-fighters who took 15 minutes to extinguish the blazes.
Two men and a woman suffered head injuries and were ferried to nearby hospitals.
Eyewitness Kijja Chansukcharoenjinda said he had stopped at the red light and then felt the truck impact with the left side of his van.
He said he saw the truck hit the taxi, sending it smashing into a car and then causing a chain reaction of crashes.
All in all, 12 vehicles were damaged in the accident, police said.