CHACHOENGSAO: A taxi crashed into a concrete guardrail and burst into flames, but passersby pulled the two badly injured passengers and driver to safety, in Bang Pakong district early on Friday morning.
The accident occurred on the bridge over Samrong canal, near the 42 kilometre marker, on Theparat Road (Bang Na-Trat) in tambon Bang Wua and was reported to police at 4.35am.
Emergency responders said the white-pink taxi was still burning when they arrived at the scene. Its smashed-in front was split by the concrete bridge guardrail.
Passersby had rescued the two middle-aged women passengers and the driver from the cab just before it burst into flames.
Firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze, but the taxi was gutted.
All the three people in the vehicle were seriously injured. The passengers had broken legs and one of them was unconscious. They were rushed to a local hospital.
Police said it appeared the cabbie fell asleep at the wheel.