Pickup Truck Catches Fire; 60-Year-Old Driver Escapes With Burns
A 60-year-old driver escaped a burning Isuzu pickup on Highway 304 in Prachuap Khiri Khan with burns after smoke suddenly erupted from the engine. He heroically flagged down traffic to prevent accidents while waiting for firefighters to arr
Police in Sri Maha Pho district, Prachuap Khiri Khan, responded at 3:15 p.m. on September 20 to a report of a white Isuzu pickup (license plate NP 413 Sakaeo) ablaze on Highway 304 near Krok Somboon subdistrict. Firefighters from the local administration organization, rescue volunteers, and highway police rushed to the scene and found the vehicle engulfed in flames around the engine and front cabin. Officers sprayed water to contain the fire and manage heavy traffic disruption.
The driver, a 60-year-old man named Khampon, sustained burns to his right ankle and hair above his left ear. He told officers he was traveling from Kabinburi District toward Phnom Sarakham when smoke suddenly poured from under the hood. He steered the truck to the roadside and jumped out as flames erupted. Although he fell initially, Khampon got up and stood in the road waving down traffic to prevent a pile-up, fearing the vehicle might explode.
A nearby coffee shop owner, Nattanichcha, witnessed the drama. She heard violent braking, then saw thick black smoke engulfing Khampon's cab. The driver could barely see the road and the truck swerved before coming to rest in front of her shop as sparks flew. When Khampon jumped down, fire clung to his hair. He ran to her shop front to warn other drivers away from the danger.
A passing fuel tanker driver grabbed two fire extinguishers and Khampon's girlfriend retrieved a third from a nearby tire shop, but none could douse the flames. Other citizens joined in efforts until firefighters from Krok Somboon subdistrict administration arrived and extinguished the fire. Once the emergency subsided and crowds dispersed, Khampon suddenly went into shock from smoke inhalation. Rescuers immediately transported him to Chularat Hospital for urgent treatment.
