KANCHANABURI: A wild elephant was hit by a car on a highway through a wildlife sanctuary in Muang district of this western province on Saturday, an official said.
Paithoon Intarabut, chief of the Salak Phra Wildlife Sanctuary, said the incident occurred at about 6.30pm near Ban Wang Chan in tambon Wang Dang on Highway 3199 between Kanchanaburi town and Si Sawat district.
Phannipha Rimtephathip, 39, told the official that she was driving a Mazda car with four other people on board on the way back from the Erawan National Pak to Kanchanaburi town when a wild elephant suddenly ran across the highway in front of her. The elephant was hit but kept going into the wildlife sanctuary.
The car was damaged, but nobody was hurt, said the woman. She said she was sorry for what had happened and would report the incident to Lat Ya police.
Mr Paithoon said wildlife officials were deployed on Sunday morning to look for the elephant, which might have been injured. Villagers were told to watch out because injured elephants can be very dangerous.
