SAMUT PRAKAN: A Malaysian driver was killed when his van rear-ended a parked container truck on a road leading to Suvarnabhumi airport in Bang Phli district late on Wednesday night.
The crash occurred on Thepparat Road, part of the Bang Na-Trat route in tambon Bang Chalong of Bang Phli, about one kilometre away from the airport, said Pol Lt Col Damrong Sukchusri, investigation chief at Bang Kaeo police station, who was alerted around 11.30pm.
Police, hospital staff and rescue workers rushed to the scene and found a crashed Toyota Alphard van with Bangkok licence plates along the road. Its front was wedged under the back of a 18-wheel container trailer truck with Bangkok licence plates, parked in the left lane.
The driver of the van was a 52-year-old Malaysian national man, whose name was withheld pending notification of relatives. The driver was trapped in the wreckage of his vehicle. He died on the spot with severe injuries to his face.
Truck driver Yin Tangnaree, 57, told police that he drove the vehicle to transport containers from a container yard to another place. When arriving at the spot, he parked the truck to sleep. About two hours later, he heard something hit the rear of the truck. He got out to check and found the van rear-ended his truck with the driver trapped inside. He immediately alerted police, said Mr Yin.
He admitted to not turning on the emergency lights while parking the truck.
Police inspected the scene and transferred the body of the Malaysian driver to Ramathibodi Hospital's Chakri Naruebodindra Medical Institute for a post-mortem examination.
The truck driver was held for further questioning as the officers were considering pressing charges of recklessness causing death against him.
A van rear-ends a parked cargo truck in Bang Phli district, Samut Prakan province, on Wednesday. (Photo: Sutthiwit Chayutworakan)