Pattaya, Thailand – A brief moment of inattention saw a woman driving a black Nissan Navara pickup collide with a power pole beneath the Krating Lai overpass on Sukhumvit Road shortly after 2:00pm, leaving the pole dangerously tilted and both occupants with only minor injuries.
Crash under Krating Lai bridge
Eyewitnesses reported a heavy impact under the Krating Lai overpass on the Sukhumvit Road heading toward Sattahip. Rescue teams from the Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan Foundation arrived to find the pickup’s front end completely smashed and the power pole leaning at an alarming angle. The vehicle carried Bangkok licence plates.
Momentary distraction blamed
The 42-year-old driver, identified as Ms. Anuthita Ngamsiri, told police she had been driving with her two-year-old daughter to visit relatives at a hospital when a portable fan fell inside the vehicle. She said she bent down to retrieve the fan and “when I looked up, I had lost control and crashed into the pole.”
Child seat credited with preventing worse injuries
The toddler was secured in a child seat at the time of the crash, which rescue workers and police said prevented more serious harm. Both mother and daughter sustained only minor injuries and received first aid at the scene.
After treatment, the pair were able to continue their journey, although officials said the mother did not drive on afterwards.
Emergency response and police warning
Authorities documented the accident and warned motorists about the dangers of in-vehicle distractions. A police spokesperson urged drivers to remain fully focused on the road, saying that “even a brief distraction can have devastating consequences.”
The incident underlined the protective value of child restraints and the risks posed by momentary lapses in attention while driving.