An 18-wheeler truck suffered brake failure on a highway in Buri Ram province on Wednesday and struck seven cars and injured two people before it could be brought to a halt.
The accident occurred near an intersection on Highway No. 24 (Choke Chai-Dej Udom) in Nong Ki district late in the afternoon, and caused an hour-long obstruction to traffic.
Pol Lt Theerawat Ratchakhiri, a duty officer at Nong Ki police station, said the Nakhon Ratchasima-registered truck driven by Seesit Pannarong, 29, could not be stopped because of a problem and it ploughed into seven cars and pickup trucks waiting for a green light. Two people were trapped in a car and a pickup truck after the crash which damaged all seven vehicles.
The driver admitted he had not checked the condition of the truck and its brake system for a long time.
He told Pol Lt Theerawat that he hit the brakes about 200 metres before the red-light intersection but nothing happened. He then flashed his headlights and blew his horn non-stop to alert other motorists, but none were able to get out of his way as all lanes were taken up by waiting vehicles.
Mr Seesit faces an initial charge of reckless driving causing property damage and injury.