Speeding, tailgating van hits highway sweeper, kills two

23 พฤษภาคม 2560

Wreck of commuter van after crashing into street sweeper, killing van driver & passenger. Speeding van was following too close behind truck.

HIGHWAY CARNAGE

Van hits highway sweeper car, kills two

23/05/2017
Post Reporters

A commuter van ploughed into a tollway street sweeper vehicle on Monday, killing the van driver and a passenger and injuring three others.

The accident occurred around midday about one kilometre from the Din Daeng exit as the street sweeper was heading towards the Din Daeng exit, causing major traffic jams.

TWO DEATHS & THREE INJURIES

The van driver, Niphon Srijan-in, 31, and passenger, Jureerat Jongjitklang, 33, were thrown out of the van and killed on the spot, according to police.

Three other van passengers were injured and rushed to Rajvithi and Paolo Saphankwai hospitals.

CAUSE OF ACCIDENT: SPEEDING VAN FOLLOWING TOO CLOSE BEHIND TRUCK (TAILGAITING)

Other car drivers interviewed by police saw the van driving at high speed in the middle lane of the tollway.

He said a pickup truck in front of the van had overtaken a vehicle and narrowly avoided crashing into the street sweeper, which was moving slowly in the outer lane.

However, the van had followed too close behind the pickup truck (tailgaiting) during the overtaking manoeuvre and rammed into the street sweeper.

This is according to Pol Lt Col Chaiwat Inthes, chief inspector at Vibhavadi police station.

VAN DOORS FLEW OPEN SENDING DRIVER & PASSENGER TO THEIR DEATHS

The driver's door and the sliding door of the van were thrown open by the force of the crash, sending Niphon and Jureerat flying to their deaths.

Pol Lt Col Chairat said the driver of the sweeper vehicle will be questioned and footage from surveillance cameras on the tollway is being reviewed.

Police were trying to find out if signs or traffic cones had been placed on the road to warn oncoming vehicles about the presence of sweeper vehicle.

The accident immediately forced the inbound lanes of the tollway to close for about 40 minutes and traffic was redirected through the Lat Phrao exit.

Niphon's wife, whose name was not given, said her husband, who was the family breadwinner, had been driving the commuter van, operating on the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA)'s concession, from the Nava Nakhon industrial estate in Pathum Thani to the Victory Monument for six years.

BMTA officials examined the scene of the accident. They said financial compensation for families of the crash victims will be disbursed from a third-party vehicle insurance fund.