NAKHON RATCHASIMA: A road accident response drill went terribly wrong, leading to the death of a woman motorcyclist, in Phimai district on Sunday.
The road drill followed a visit by Deputy Interior Minister Niphon Bunyamanee, who laid down his road safety policy for the New Year holiday at the Phimai district office on Sunday.
In the afternoon local district and health officials, and rescue workers organised a road accident response exercise on the highway at Ban Tam Yae intersection in tambon Krabueang Yai.
Traffic police closed one side of Phimai-Talad Khae Road, and opposing flows of vehicles were directed to use the other side.
Tragically, this led to a collision between a motorcycle and a loaded sugarcane truck pulling a trailer.
The woman motorcyclist was run over and crushed to death, and her male companion seriously injured. She was identified as Dawan Termsuk, a local resident.
The safety drill was being held on a busy road where motorists tend to drive fast -- except sugarcane trucks.
Nakhon Ratchasima is a national highway gateway between the Central Plains and the Northeast, and usually heavily congested during the New Year holiday.
There was no comment available from the organisers of the road safety drill.