SRI RACHA, THAILAND – A motorcyclist cut in front of an ambulance on a narrow side street in Sri Racha, nearly triggering a second traffic accident that was captured on the vehicle’s dashcam on the morning of 29 November 2025.
Ambulance forced into emergency stop
Around 8:10 a.m., an emergency pick-up of the Sawang Prateep Sri Racha Foundation (radio call sign 703) was driving with siren and warning lights to a serious road accident. The team had been dispatched to a reported collision between a motorcycle and a six-wheel truck in Soi Charoen Sap, near the Pradisht Phaisan housing area, in the direction of the Huay Fao junction.
At the wheel was Somboon Banmai, 54, an experienced volunteer responder. After turning from the Charoen Sap junction into Soi Bo Yang, he followed a man on a blue Honda Wave moving in the same direction and completed a controlled overtaking maneuver before returning to his lane.
Suddenly, the motorcyclist accelerated on the right, cut sharply in front of the emergency vehicle and forced the driver to brake hard to avoid a collision.
“I was shocked,”
said Somboon, volunteer responder.
“If we had collided, it would have caused another accident, injured more people, delayed help for the original victim, and resulted in unnecessary damage and legal problems.”
said Somboon, volunteer responder.
Reckless riding through active crash scene
Seconds later, the same motorcyclist appeared at the original accident site, where local residents and volunteers were already giving first aid to the injured rider from the first crash at the edge of the narrow soi. The blue scooter sped close past the helpers and missed them by a small margin, as a bystander shouted after the rider for driving at high speed through an active accident zone.
After passing the scene, the motorcyclist raised his hand and waved casually, which observers perceived as a provocative gesture. The original accident victim was treated on site by rescue workers and then taken to Vibharam Laem Chabang Hospital.
Dashcam video released as warning
Somboon later released the dashcam footage to highlight the risks of such behavior.
“When an ambulance, rescue vehicle or any emergency vehicle is on the road with lights and siren, please move to the side immediately and make way. Every second counts for someone who may be fighting for their life,”
said Somboon, volunteer responder.
“Anyone who blocks or cuts emergency vehicles risks not only another accident, but also human lives.”
said Somboon, volunteer responder.
Authorities stress legal and safety obligations
Road traffic experts and local authorities in Thailand reiterated that ignoring emergency vehicles was extremely dangerous and punishable by fines under Thai traffic law. They pointed to basic rules: immediately slow down and carefully move to the roadside, create an emergency corridor or at least a clear passage, avoid risky overtaking in narrow sois or at accident sites, and sharply reduce speed in crash zones while watching for helpers and pedestrians.
Case seen as example of avoidable risk
The incident in Sri Racha was cited by safety advocates as an example of how the recklessness of a single road user could jeopardize an entire rescue operation. For them, the case underlined the need for greater awareness of the priority of emergency vehicles and stricter adherence to traffic laws designed to protect both responders and the public.