NAKHON RATCHASIMA: Three people were killed, including a schoolgirl, and 55 others hurt when a bus carrying students and teachers on a study tour collided with a pickup truck on Wednesday evening.
The fatal crash occurred at Ban Kudmuang intersection on the Sikhiu-Chaiyaphum Road in Dan Khun Thot district of this northeastern province.
The bus was on the way back to Chaiyaphum after taking students and teachers of Ban Nong Saeng School in Phu Khieo district to see the royal crematorium and exhibition at Sanam Luang in Bangkok.
Pol Capt Parinthorn Yaichantuek, duty officer at Dan Khun Thot district, said the bus was approaching Ban Kudmuang junction, where it was to make a turn, when a pickup truck cut right in front of it. The bus driver was unable to brake in time and the bus hit the pickup truck and then ran into the roadside ditch and overturned.
Three people were killed in the crash, and most of the other people on the bus injured. Those killed were bus driver Veeraphol Thongkham, his wife Amaporn Thongkham and Pinyada Labpinyo, a 9-year-old schoolgirl.
Rescuers reported that 55 passengers were confirmed injured, teachers and students. They were taken to Dan Khun Thot and Maharat Nakhon Ratchasima hospitals. Twelve remained under intensive care.
Pol Capt Parinthorn said the GPS system installed on the bus showed the driver was travelling at 86kph when the pickup truck, driven by Seksan Waengkham, cut in front of him.
Police were investigating further.
Nakhon Ratchasima governor Wichian Chanthornnothai said on Thursday that the road where the crash occurred had been expanded from two lanes to four. SInce then, many vehicles using it were found to be travelling at high speed. This had led to frequent accidents.
On Wednesday alone there were five road accidents on that road in Dan Khun Thot district, the governor said.
He would arrange to have traffic lights installed at the intersection.
