Woman Dies After Pickup Truck Flips Into Roadside Ditch
A 20-year-old Phichit woman died after a pickup truck flipped into a roadside ditch on Wang Thong–Sak Laek Road during heavy rain on August 5, when another vehicle cut in front of the driver, forcing him to brake hard.
A tragic car accident on August 5 at 6:30 p.m. claimed the life of 20-year-old Chalita Tongput, known as Nong Punch, a foster daughter of Kaeng Huai Rai. The Suzuki pickup truck, registered in Bangkok and driven by 21-year-old Jetthaniphath (surname withheld), flipped and fell into a roadside ditch on Wang Thong–Sak Laek Road in Wat Tai subdistrict, Bang Krathuem district, Phichit province. Rescue workers used cutting equipment to extract passengers from the vehicle.
Another passenger, Saranphorn (surname withheld), was injured and transferred to Bang Krathuem Hospital, while Chalita was pronounced dead at the scene. A breathalyzer test showed the driver had zero alcohol content. According to the driver's account, he was returning home to Sak Laek district after leaving Phitsanulok city when heavy rain and strong winds were present. A pickup truck in the left lane cut in front of him, forcing him to brake hard, which caused his vehicle to lose control and flip into the roadside ditch.
Chalita's body was transferred to Phutthachinaarat Hospital in Phitsanulok for autopsy and cause-of-death examination. She was a third-year student at Phibulsongkhram Rajabhat University and was known for being hardworking and independent. She had been caring for herself and her younger sibling after losing her parents in the Siam Commercial Bank building collapse. Her aunt, 50-year-old Ratri, collected her body from the hospital to bring it home to Phichit province for religious rites. The accident remains under investigation using CCTV footage.
