Bang Phae, Thailand – A high-speed pickup truck collided head-on with a motorcycle on the evening of 20 October, killing four members of a Lao migrant family, authorities said.
Crash and casualties
Emergency crews from the Sawang Ratchaburi Foundation arrived at the scene on the Don Kha–Don Yai road in Bang Phae district at about 19:10 and found a devastating scene. The father of the family had been forced against the pickup’s windshield, while his three-year-old daughter was found dead in the bed of the truck. Rescuers also discovered the mother and another child dead beside the badly mangled Honda Wave motorcycle.
The pickup involved was identified as a Toyota. Police said the four victims were returning from a local market when the collision occurred.
Suspected overtaking manoeuvre
Investigators said they believed the pickup driver had attempted a risky overtaking manoeuvre and failed to see the oncoming motorcycle. The narrow, two-lane road is bordered by dense vegetation and is known locally for its hazards.
Local residents told reporters that riders often take the centre of the road to avoid dangers at the edge. “Motorcyclists have to ride in the middle here to avoid the roadside hazards. With all the bushes you often see too late what’s coming,” one resident said, adding that serious accidents on the route were not uncommon.
Driver fled the scene
Police said the pickup driver abandoned his heavily damaged vehicle and fled before emergency services arrived. Officers from the Pho Hak police station are now combing nearby CCTV footage to identify and locate the suspect.
Authorities took the victims’ bodies for autopsy before returning them to relatives for burial. Police said the families of the deceased are believed to be living in Laos.
Calls for improved road safety
The crash renewed local demands for safety measures on the stretch of road, including cutting back roadside vegetation and stricter enforcement of speed limits. Residents and local authorities said repeated fatal overtaking incidents on narrow rural roads highlighted the need for action.
Police continue their investigation and have urged anyone with information or footage from the area at the time of the crash to come forward.