Ten-Wheeler Truck Swerves to Avoid Pedestrian, Crashes into Tree at Full Force, Catches Fire in Massive Blaze
A 10-wheel truck swerved to avoid a pedestrian on Highway 3481 in Chachoengsao province, crashed into a tree and caught fire, with the driver escaping but the pedestrian disappearing from the scene.
A 10-wheel truck swerved to avoid a pedestrian who suddenly crossed in front, then crashed into a roadside tree with tremendous force, causing an electrical short and massive fire that consumed the vehicle. The driver miraculously escaped, but the pedestrian who crossed the road vanished from the scene.
On May 7, 2025, police sergeant Sutheep Chaidharm, head of Sala Daeng subdistrict patrol, received a report of the 10-wheel truck losing control and colliding with a roadside tree with subsequent fire on Highway 3481 near the canal bridge in Sala Daeng area, Bang Nam Priao district, Chachoengsao province. He rushed to the scene with the local subdistrict fire truck.
Upon arrival, authorities found the truck's cab engulfed in intense flames, wedged against the tree. Firefighters coordinated water spraying operations that took approximately 15 minutes to successfully control the fire. No occupants were injured inside the vehicle because the driver had managed to escape beforehand, though the truck's cab sustained severe damage.
According to witness statements, 54-year-old driver Tanapat (surname withheld) explained that he was driving back from Samut Prakan province to his sister's home in Bang Nam Priao. As he descended from the canal bridge, he spotted a pedestrian crossing the road directly ahead. He swerved the truck to the left to avoid impact, but couldn't control the vehicle, which then plunged off the road and crashed into a tree. The collision caused an electrical short in the fuse box behind the cab, sparking a massive fire. Although Tanapat attempted to extinguish it with an onboard fire extinguisher, the flames spread too rapidly, forcing him to escape and alert police to dispatch firefighting units. The pedestrian who crossed the road could not be found at the scene after the incident subsided.
Tanapat has since contacted his insurance company for damage assessment and provided additional information to Bang Nam Priao police station to determine the exact cause of the accident.
