Bus driver triggers 20-vehicle pileup in central Bangkok
A massive accident that caused multiple injuries and damage to almost two dozen vehicles in central Bangkok on Friday evening was caused by a bus driver, according to his employers.
Thai Smile Bus electric bus No 40 hit a taxi on Phaya Thai Road close to Pathum Wan intersection before sliding into several vehicles that were waiting at traffic lights.
Four motorists needed hospital treatment for injuries sustained in the smash while a total of 20 cars and motorcycles were damaged. The accident blocked the road and caused a tailback for several kilometres.
Thai Smile Bus issued a statement on Saturday saying the 60-year-old driver of the bus had admitted to mistakenly stepping on the accelerator instead of the brake, causing his vehicle to career out of control. An investigation after the accident showed the vehicle had no mechanical problems, it added.
The bus company said it would pay for medical treatment of those injured and provide compensation to affected parties.
The bus driver would also face disciplinary actions, it said, while vowing to improve services to ensure the safety of passengers and the public.
Thai Smile Bus also operates the 558 bus that caused a 10-car pileup after rear-ending a car near Soi 4 on Rama II Road in Bangkok’s Chom Thong district on September 26. That accident left 18 people with injuries.
The company covers over 70 routes in Bangkok, operating 612 electric buses, 635 NGV buses, and 23 electric boats.
