KHON KAEN: Thirteen people were injured when their passenger van crashed into a truck trailer, wedged there and was dragged along the road as the truckie tried to shake it off.
Passenger Darika Phimphaeng told police the van driver had tried to overtake the trailer truck, moving into the right lane, but the truck also suddenly moved across into the right lane. The van crashed hard against the rear of the trailer, and stuck there.
Van driver Pramot Bunchan was seriously injured and all 12 passengers received lesser injuries. Their conditions were being monitored by doctors at Ban Phai Hospital.
The van had picked up the passengers in Nakhon Phanom on Tuesday. The accident occured on the Ban Phai-Borabue road in Ban Phai district, Khon Kaen, late that night.
The van was locked onto the truck trailer's rear end by the force of the impact.
"I saw the trailer driver trying speed off, away from the scene, weaving, trying to shake it [the van] loose, but unsuccessfully," Ms Darika said.
The van was dragged along the road for about one kilometre before truck driver finally stopped on the roadside, she said.
Truck driver Witthaya Somaso, was being questioned by investigators.
Police had so far held off pressing charges against either of the two drivers, pending further interrogation, Ban Phai deputy police inspector Pol Capt Nikhom Sata said.