Pickup truck loses control in heavy rain, crashes into tree; husband and wife killed, 5-year-old daughter survives and asks rescuers if her parents are dead

At 4:58 PM on April 30, rescue workers from Suang Saeng Tharm rescue station in Sung Noen district, Nakhon Ratchasima province, received a report of a pickup truck that had lost control and crashed into a tree on Friendship Highway heading toward Bangkok, near kilometer marker 122+600 close to the Kud Chik intersection in Na Klang subdistrict, Sung Noen district. They rushed to the scene with cutting equipment.

At the accident site, they found a Toyota Vigo pickup truck (license plate Bor So 1141 from Saraburi) with the front severely crushed and wedged against a roadside tree. Three people were trapped in the wreckage, requiring rescue workers to use hydraulic cutting equipment to extract the vehicle urgently amid heavy rainfall, making their work extremely difficult.

Investigation revealed that the victims were from the same family: Mr. Soo Kiarti, 36, the driver, suffered severe injuries and rescue workers performed CPR before rushing him to Sung Noen Hospital, but he died shortly after. Mrs. Hattaya Rat, 32, Soo Kiarti's wife, died inside the vehicle. And a 5-year-old girl (named A) with two parents suffered minor injuries.

During the rescue, the traumatized girl asked rescue workers with fear, "Are my mom and dad dead? Am I going to die?" This deeply moved the rescue personnel, who comforted her until they could safely remove her from the vehicle.

Initial information indicates the family was traveling from Nakhon Ratchasima city heading to work at a company in Sung Noen district when heavy rain caused slippery road conditions. The vehicle lost control and crashed violently into a roadside tree, resulting in the tragedy. Police will investigate the exact cause before taking further action.