Police and emergency workers responded to a harrowing road traffic accident early Sunday morning in the eastern province of Sa Kaew. Eleven people lost their lives in the third reported accident in two weeks where a van or bus driver fell asleep at the wheel.
Eleven people died when the passenger van carrying workers from Laos to Chanthaburi Immigration virtually disintegrated in horror head-on collision in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Eleven people were killed in a horror smash in the eastern province Sa Kaew this morning when a passenger van was involved in a head-on collision with an 18 wheel truck. The passengers in the van are understood to have been workers from Laos heading to Chanthaburi Immigration to have their visas renewed.
Police at the scene suspect that the driver of the passenger van may have fallen asleep at the wheel. The accident occurred sometime before 4.15am when the alarm was raised.
The van appears to have veered onto the other side of the road running headlong into an approaching truck. If so, it will be the third reported fatal accident in the last two weeks involving bus or passenger van drivers who have fallen asleep while driving.
Police and emergency rescue services responders faced a shocking scene of carnage from the devastating accident. Only three of the passengers from the bus were brought out alive and they were seriously injured. The driver of the truck also found in a critical condition.
It is reported that 10 of the workers from Laos lost their lives as well as the driver of the passenger bus. Many of the victims were crushed due to the impact with the large lorry while some bodies were hurled from the van when the front of the vehicle virtually disintegrated from the force of the crash.
