UBON RATCHATHANI - Two police officers were crushed to death when a trailer truck slammed into an alcohol checkpoint they were manning in Si Muang Mai district on Wednesday morning.
The 18-wheel trailer truck loaded with sand suddenly rammed into a police patrol pickup truck at the alcohol-test checkpoint on Nam Thaeng-Si Muang Mai Road at 10.46am on Wednesday, Thai media reported.
Two of the six policemen manning the checkpoint were crushed to death while four other officers narrowly escaped. The truck also hit a car parked at the checkpoint before plunging into a roadside ditch.
Police rushed to the scene and found the body of Pol Capt Sema Attthararok, deputy crime suppression chief attached to Nam Thaeng police station, crushed to death under the left rear wheel of the patrol pickup truck, said Pol Col Supornchai Srisuwa, a duty officer at Nam Thaeng police station.
The body of Pol Snr Sgt Maj Thaweechai Kullachot, attached to the same police station, was crushed to death under the right rear wheel of the truck.
Truck driver Chukiat Sukcharoen, 40, was held in police custody.
A police investigation found that Pol Capt Sema took five police officers to set up the alcohol checkpoint on the road. While performing their duties, the truck with an Ubon Ratchathani licence plate travelling along the road had a brake problem, causing it to ram into the checkpoint and other barriers.
Police were investigating.