Driver Mistakes Flooded Canal for Road, Truck and Backhoe Sink
We need to write a short summary, 1-2 sentences, 120-220 characters, never more than 240. Must be in English. Lead with what happened, then single most important detail (who, where, or when). Not repeat title verbatim. Provide info: a drive
The driver, 48-year-old Prachit, said he was transporting the backhoe from the Baan Win area of Si Racha to pick up sandbags for flood protection, but unfamiliar with the route he relied on GPS navigation. Approaching a junction where floodwater hid the road surface, the GPS instructed a turn; seeing still water ahead he assumed it was a flooded road and turned, only to plunge into the canal, causing both the truck and the backhoe to sink. Prachit escaped by jumping out through an open window, saying he was lucky; he noted that if the window had been closed he might not have gotten out in time and could have faced serious harm. Village headman Kammorn Ketprayoon added that the driver was unfamiliar with the locality and that the floodwaters made the canal appear as a continuous sheet of water with the road, warning anyone unacquainted with the route to avoid it and check conditions before driving, especially as many parts of Phan Thong district remain flooded.
