Truck Brake Failure Causes Highway Pile-Up, 7 Vehicles Damaged
A trailer truck's brake failure triggered a seven-vehicle pile-up on Highway 304 in Prachuap Khiri Khan on August 6, injuring five people on the notorious steep downhill route.
At 11:00 a.m. on August 6, 2025, police received reports of a serious collision on Highway 304 (Pakthongchai–Kabin Buri route) at kilometer 208, on the Bangkok-bound descent in Nadi District, Prachuap Khiri Khan Province. Officers from Wang Khon Daeng Police Station, provincial road officials, and rescue teams rushed to the scene, which was on a steep four-lane downhill mountain road section with sharp curves where rain was falling continuously. Traffic was severely congested, forcing authorities to close the road entirely as debris and materials were scattered across the pavement.
Investigators determined that seven vehicles were damaged in total: a trailer truck, a box truck, two container trucks, a minibus, a pickup truck, a private car, and a cargo trailer. Five people were injured—four with moderate injuries and one with severe injuries. One person was trapped inside a truck cabin but was successfully extracted by rescue teams using cutting equipment and rushed to hospital.
Police believe the trailer truck's brakes failed, causing it to lose control and collide with other vehicles slowing for the descent. The impact destroyed several truck cabs and caused large blocks of cardboard or cargo to fall and obstruct traffic lanes. By 1:45 p.m., road officials and rescue crews were clearing spilled oil and planning to gradually remove wreckage to open temporary lanes for trapped traffic.
Investigators noted that this section of Highway 304—near Phu Thon Shrine at kilometer 208—has a troubling history of severe accidents caused by steep terrain with sharp curves, brake failure in large trucks and buses from heavy use and overheating, and driver negligence or speeding on downhill grades. Over the past decade alone, at least 18 major accidents have been recorded at this location.
