Bangkok: A drunken 18-wheeler truck driver crashed into a taxi before hitting a barrier on Bangna-Trat Road. Confused, he admitted to drinking alcohol before driving and asked, "Will I go to jail?"
According to Thai News Agency, footage from Mr. Phu's dashcam, who was driving his pickup truck with his wife and young daughter on Thep Ratana Road (Bangna-Trat Road), outbound lane near kilometer marker 14, shows an 18-wheeler truck suddenly swerving from the left lane into the right lane, nearly causing a collision. The truck then swerved erratically before crashing into a concrete barrier at a construction site in the middle of the Bang Chalong Canal bridge in Bang Phli District, Samut Prakan Province.
This trailer truck crashed violently into the construction site, sending dust flying across the road and causing its cargo to overturn, blocking the road and making it impassable for all vehicles. The incident occurred at 9:18 PM on January 18, 2069.
Following the incident, Good Samaritans, including Mr. Phu, the owner of the dashcam, rushed to help the driver of the involved 18-wheeler truck get out of the vehicle safely. This was done out of fear of a fire caused by the large amount of spilled oil. Authorities coordinated with the police, rescue workers, and fire department to respond to the scene and closed all lanes of traffic because the plywood sheets being transported on the 18-wheeler had scattered across the road.
Mr. Phu recounted that he was initially driving alongside the other vehicle when it veered into his path. At that time, he honked to warn the other driver, thinking that if the driver wasn't intoxicated, they might just be drowsy. However, after he honked, the other driver accelerated even more, eventually crashing into the construction site.
The driver, Mr. Rungarun, 47, attempted to flee the scene after the accident. Police officers from Bang Phli Police Station pursued and apprehended him at a gas station approximately one kilometer from the scene. He claimed to have a stomach ache and appeared drowsy and disoriented, speaking incoherently. He stated that he had just finished a shift and was on his way to deliver goods to Khlong 7, Lam Luk Ka, and didn't know how he ended up at that location.
When questioned by the reporter, Mr. Rungarun stated that he didn't know if he had previously collided with a taxi and couldn't remember anything. He admitted to drinking a bottle of 40-degree alcoholic beverage and mentioned that he had been arrested and imprisoned once before last year for drunk driving, though that incident didn't involve an accident. The court sentenced him to three months in prison, after which he was released, leading to the current incident.