Ice lorry crash cuts power in Buriram town
A lorry carrying a full load of ice crashed into a roadside electricity pole early on September 7, after the driver reportedly fell asleep at the wheel. The collision left him seriously injured and caused a widespread power outage in Buriram’s Ban Dan district.
Police said the accident occurred at around 05.30 on Highway 219, directly in front of Ban Non Sawan School. The six-wheel truck, registered in Yasothon and converted with a sealed ice compartment, overturned down a roadside embankment before slamming into a high-voltage power pole. The front of the vehicle was mangled, and much of Ban Dan town was left without electricity.
Rescue teams rushed to the scene with hydraulic cutting equipment to free the trapped driver, 23-year-old Mr Saharat. He was found unconscious with multiple injuries. After a tense 30-minute operation, emergency workers pulled him from the wreckage and rushed him to Ban Dan Hospital, before transferring him to Buriram Hospital in critical condition.
Eyewitness Mr Prasit Semaram, 33, told reporters that he was on his way to collect mushrooms when he saw the lorry veer off the road. “The driver was stuck inside, so I called the authorities immediately,” he said.
Company spokesman Mr Noi, 55, explained that the truck had loaded 280 bags of small ice cubes, weighing more than six tonnes, from a factory in Satuek district. The shipment was bound for customers in Buriram town and surrounding districts. According to him, the branch depot in Buriram city only stocked large ice cubes, which required the trip for small cube delivery.
Police investigators said they suspect the driver dozed off at the wheel while hurrying to complete his delivery. Authorities are now reviewing the accident site and working with the electricity provider to restore power across Ban Dan town.