Samut Prakan pileup: 22-wheel truck ploughs through 16 vehicles

A 22-wheel trailer truck experienced a brake failure on the Kanchanapisek expressway in Samut Prakan on Sunday evening, and ploughed into vehicles in front causing a 17-vehicle pileup.

Police and rescue officials said 17 motorists, including the truck driver, sustained injuries in the accident, which occurred on the expressway’s Bang Phli-Suksawat section at the 18+600 kilometre marker at 5pm.

The crash took place in Tambon Ya Praek, within Samut Prakan’s Phra Pradaeng district, on the inbound route towards Bangkok’s Bang Na district.

Witnesses said the truck lost control while going down a bridge and ploughed into rows of vehicles that had either stopped or were crawling due to congestion.

Footage from a vehicle’s rear camera showed the truck moving at high speed, with the driver trying to steer between two rows of vehicles to avoid direct collision. The truck hit several vehicles, sending them scattering to the sides and into other cars before the driver managed to steer into an empty lane and brought the truck to a halt.

A total of 16 other vehicles were damaged in the crash, including sedans, pickups and smaller trucks. That section of the expressway was closed for over an hour to let emergency responders transport the injured to the hospital and clear the wreckage. By 6.30pm, traffic has resumed partially, easing congestion for motorists heading to Pak Nam and Bang Na.

Prasert Kesbung, 51, one of the injured motorists, said he was slowly shifting his car towards the vehicle in front when he heard a loud braking noise, causing it to bounce forward and hit the vehicle ahead in a chain reaction.

Another driver said his car had been stationary in the jam when the trailer truck scraped its left side before hitting around 10 more vehicles ahead.

Police are expected to take the injured truck driver into custody following his treatment, and charges will be raised based on the investigation. The driver’s name has not been released.