Van Driver Falls Asleep, Hits Truck and E-Tan; 2 Dead, 6 Hurt

Two killed and six injured after a passenger van rear-ended a 10-wheel truck then struck an agricultural vehicle. The wreckage was severely damaged. Emergency responders rushed to the scene around 7:00 a.m. on November 2, 2026, suspecting the van driver fell asleep at the wheel.

At 7:00 a.m. on November 2, 2026, Police Lieutenant Apichat Chinnawong, an investigator at Kamphaeng Phet City Police Station, received a report of a passenger van crashing into the rear of a 10-wheel truck and then colliding again with an agricultural vehicle (E-Tan) near the Tha Sao Kradoong U-turn, Moo 2, Ang Thong Subdistrict, Mueang District, Kamphaeng Phet Province. He proceeded to inspect the scene with forensic doctors from Kamphaeng Phet Hospital and rescue volunteers from the Sawang Kamphaeng Phet Thammasathan Foundation.

At the scene, a Toyota van with Bangkok license plates was found with its front and right side heavily crushed, lodged against the E-Tan. Inside the van, two bodies were discovered: Mr. Thirasak (surname withheld), 40, the driver, whose body was pinned against the steering wheel and dashboard, and a Myanmar man who died in the seat behind the driver.

In addition, six other passengers were injured and taken to Kamphaeng Phet Hospital, while four more sustained minor injuries and were treated at the scene. Further down the road, a 10-wheel Isuzu truck with Lamphang plates was parked with visible impact marks on its left rear.

A female Myanmar passenger who was on the van said the group of 13, including the driver, had departed at midday on November 1. One passenger had already disembarked in Ratchaburi. Throughout the journey, they stopped periodically to rest. Before the accident, the driver mentioned wanting to pull over and sleep for about five minutes, but then continued driving until the crash occurred.

Mr. Phithun (surname withheld), 51, the E-Tan driver, stated he was making a normal U-turn when he saw the 10-wheel truck complete its turn and leave the U-turn area. The van, traveling in the far-right lane, gradually veered and sideswiped the truck's rear before slamming into his vehicle, throwing him against the windshield and roof, causing minor injuries. After his vehicle stopped and smoke billowed from the van's front, he rushed to open the van doors and helped pull out some of the lightly injured.

Mr. Thatsathin (surname withheld), 37, the 10-wheel truck driver, said he was heading to a sugar factory to load sugar. At the accident site, he had completed his U-turn and cleared the lane when the van suddenly smashed into his rear, shaking his truck, before the van lost control and violently crashed into the parked E-Tan.

Police initially suspect the van driver fell asleep due to fatigue from the long journey, despite the earlier roadside rest, causing him to lose control. However, investigators will urgently gather scene evidence and interview witnesses in detail to determine the exact cause.

CCTV footage from the area was reviewed. The images are unclear due to road glare, but show the E-Tan entering the U-turn and the van crashing into it with a puff of smoke before bystanders rushed to help.