SEKA, THAILAND – A 30-year-old retailer was killed in a pre-dawn crash in Bueng Kan province after his Mercedes-Benz left the road and smashed into multiple power poles.
Fatal crash on Highway 2026
The accident occurred at about 3 a.m. on Highway 2026, the Seka–Bueng Khong Long route near Ban Chok Amnuey in the Tha Kok Daeng subdistrict. For reasons still unclear, the car veered off the road, hit several electricity and utility poles in succession and then caught fire. The driver died at the scene.
Emergency response at burning vehicle
Pol Lt Oral Wongchak, deputy investigator at Seka police station, said officers were alerted via the 191 emergency call centre and immediately coordinated rescue units and firefighters. When responders arrived, a white Mercedes-Benz was fully engulfed in flames at the roadside, near Nong Hing Witthaya School. Fire crews from the Tha Kok Daeng Subdistrict Administrative Organisation fought the blaze while rescue workers attempted cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the driver.
The man was pronounced dead and removed from the wreck. A doctor from Seka Hospital examined the body before it was released to relatives for religious funeral rites.
Power outage after five high-voltage poles destroyed
Investigators found that five high-voltage power poles had been destroyed in the impact, causing a widespread electricity outage in parts of Seka district. Power utilities were notified and carried out emergency repairs to restore service as quickly as possible. Immediate consequences included power cuts in several local areas, hazards from hanging lines and short circuits, and the deployment of technicians to secure the affected routes.
CCTV footage shows car at high speed
Video from a nearby private CCTV camera showed the Mercedes travelling at high speed from left to right across the road. Less than a minute later, a loud impact, the snapping of a power pole and an electrical bang linked to a short circuit on a 115-kilovolt line could be heard.
Police suspect driver may have fallen asleep
According to initial police findings, the driver may have fallen asleep at the wheel. Officers said this likely caused the car to leave the road, slam into the power poles and then burst into flames, with no other vehicles involved. A forensic team from Bueng Kan was assigned to examine the wrecked Mercedes-Benz to determine the precise cause and sequence of the crash.
“The officers were alerted via the 191 emergency radio centre and immediately coordinated rescue workers and firefighters.”
said Pol Lt Oral Wongchak, deputy investigator at Seka police station.