Shadow Puppet Master Dies in Truck Collision
A shadow puppet theater owner died when his pickup truck collided with a stationary 10-wheeled truck at a red light in Rayong Province on July 19, while returning home from a temple performance.
A well-known shadow puppet theater owner died in a tragic collision when his pickup truck slammed into the back of a 10-wheeled truck stopped at a red light on the evening of July 19 in Ban Khai District, Rayong Province. Police from Ban Khai Station responded to the scene at 22:30 to find a white pickup severely crushed and wedged beneath the cargo truck, which was loaded with chicken crates. Officers discovered the body of a man, approximately 60 years old and identified as the owner of a prominent local shadow puppet troupe. Rescue personnel used specialized cutting tools to extract the victim from the wreckage.
Investigators determined that before the accident, the victim had been conducting a shadow puppet performance at a local temple and was driving his pickup truck carrying equipment back to his residence, with his son following on a motorcycle. At the Bang Buthorn traffic light intersection on Highway 3574, the 10-wheeled truck was stopped at the red signal preparing to enter Rayong city when the victim's pickup collided with it at high speed, causing his immediate death.
Police documented the scene and collected evidence, taking the truck driver in for further questioning at the station to determine the exact cause of the accident and to proceed with legal proceedings. The victim's body was sent to Ban Khai Hospital for autopsy pending collection by relatives for religious rites.
