TRANG - Four rescue volunteers were killed and a police officer seriously injured after being hit by a pick-up truck while helping a motorcyclist wounded in a road accident early on Sunday, police said.
The incident occurred at about 1.30am 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 in a rescue mission on being reported that a man was injured after a motorcycle he was riding crashed.
On arriving at the scene, the rescue volunteers and the police put up signal lights on the road and examined the wounded motorcyclist.
While they were at work, a Mitsubishi Triton pick-up which was running out of the town suddenly rammed into them and hit two pick-up trucks of the municipality and the police.
Three rescue volunteers -- Tawan Chanduang, 17, Thanakorn Khongtung, 17, and Prathuang Sangmuang, 38 -- were hit and killed on the spot. Pol Sr Sgt Maj Anan Soonsan of Khlong Teng police station was seriously wounded, with 10 right rib bones broken.
Another volunteer -- Panudet Kaew-in, 19, died later at a hospital.
Pattawi Lert-am, 25, the Mitsubishi pick-up driver from Wang Wiset district, was also seriously wounded and could not talk to investigators. Police were investigating whether the man was driving under the influence as some beer bottles were found in his vehicle.
The municipality and police vehicles were also damaged.
Chuan Poladet, the mayor of Tambon Khlong Teng Municipality, expressed his regret to the families of the four rescue workers who lost their lives at work. He 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 their families for the losses.
A funeral rite for the four volunteers was being held at Wat Sithichairangsan temple (Wat Khlong Teng) in Muang district.