TRANG - Four rescue volunteers were killed and a police officer was seriously injured after being hit by a pickup truck while helping a motorcyclist wounded in a road crash Sunday.
The incident occurred about 2am near a bridge on Trang-Khlong Teng road in Muang district.
Four volunteers of Tambon Khlong Teng Municipality and Khlong Teng police rushed to the bridge after hearing a man had been injured after a motorcycle he was riding crashed. At the scene, they put up signal lights on the road and examined the wounded motorcyclist.
- Earlier report: Crash kills 4 rescue volunteers
While they were at work, a black Mitsubishi Triton pickup ran into them and hit the municipality's rescue van and a police pickup truck.
Three rescue volunteers --Tawanchai Chanduang, 17, Thanakorn Khongtung, 17, and Prathuang Sangmuang, 38 -- were killed on the spot.
Three other volunteers and Pol Sen Sgt Maj Anan Soonsan, of Khlong Teng police station, were seriously wounded and taken to a nearby hospital. Panudet Kaew-in, 19, was later pronounced dead at the hospital while the officer is in a coma with many rib bones broken.
Pattawi Lert-am, 25, the Mitsubishi pickup driver from Wang Wiset district, was also seriously wounded. Several beer bottles were found in his vehicle.
He was admitted to Trang hospital and could not talk to investigators.
Pol Lt Col Pradit Chaipol, of Ban Khlong Teng provincial police station, said Sunday that Mr Pattawi was found to have alcohol in his system in excess of the legal limit.
He has been initially charged with reckless driving causing death.
Meanwhile, a rescue volunteer who survived the crash said while he and the six other volunteers were helping the wounded motorcyclist, he spotted the pickup truck approaching at high speed.
He shouted a warning, telling them to move away, but it was too late.
Chuan Poladet, the mayor of Tambon Khlong Teng Municipality, said the volunteers had worked for the municipality without a salary. They were paid only a subsistence allowance.
Mr Chuan said he would consult the provincial law office to see how to compensate families for their losses. A funeral rite for the four volunteers is being held at Wat Sithichairangsan temple (Wat Khlong Teng) in Muang district.