Pathum thani: A high-speed collision involving a car using GPS navigation resulted in the tragic deaths of a grandmother, her grandchild, and a neighbor in Pathum Thani. The accident occurred under the Wat Rat Sratthatham overpass on Highway 347 as the victims were returning from voting in a local administrative organization election.
According to Thai News Agency, CCTV footage captured the moment the red Yamaha motorcycle, carrying a young girl and two women, was struck by a white Toyota Fortuner traveling at high speed. The footage showed the motorcycle traveling along the Bang Duea canal road before being hit at an intersection by the car, which did not brake before impact. The collision sent the motorcycle's occupants flying in various directions.
Witnesses reported that the driver of the Fortuner refused to exit the vehicle until approached by a nearby police officer who was jogging. The driver admitted to following GPS directions and claimed that he encountered an intersection without traffic lights, leading to the fatal crash.
The scene of the accident revealed a severely damaged motorcycle approximately 300 meters from the car. The bodies of the three victims, identified as Ms. Urai Thamdee, Ms. Kankrao Khemthong, and Ms. Urai's niece, Eva, were discovered about 5 meters behind the vehicle.
Mr. Thamrong, a local fisherman, recounted hearing the crash while fishing nearby. He found the victims on the roadside and noticed that the young girl was still breathing faintly, but he was unable to assist her. He promptly contacted the authorities for help.
Emergency responders, including police from the Pathum Thani City Police Station and volunteers from the Poh Teck Tung Foundation, arrived at the scene shortly after the accident. The bodies were transported to the Institute of Forensic Science, Ministry of Justice, for autopsy, while police began their investigation by photographing the scene and reviewing CCTV footage.
Mrs. Somsong Thamdee, the older sister of Ms. Urai, shared that the victims had stopped for noodles after voting before heading home. The police are now focused on questioning the driver and continuing their investigation to initiate legal proceedings.