SUKHOTHAI - A rising young soft-tennis player was killed when a car ran into the back of the pickup truck she was travelling in on Sunday night, leaving her family and the sport's fans devastated.
The tragic accident occurred about 11.30pm near a petrol station in tambon Ban Suan of Muang Sukhothai district.
The 10-year-old girl, Cheryada Dee-in, aka Janjao, was travelling in the back of the pickup, returning to her home in Sukhothai after competing at Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi in Pathum Thani province.
She was placed second in the female individual under-12 event.
A sedan ran into the back of the pickup causing the driver to lose control. The pickup hit two power poles, breaking them both, and then crashed into the wall of a roadside house, according to rescuers.
Janjao was thrown off the pickup by the impact, landed on the house roof, broke through it and fell to the floor, rescuers said.
The old couple who own the house said they heard the crash outside and called the rescuers. They later found the girl’s body inside their home.
Janjao's grandmother, Prachuap, 67, told reporters she had taken care of Janjao since the girl was born. Janjao was a lively girl and had liked and played sport since she was only 4 years old, winning various titles.
"She dreamed of being a national athlete, so she practised very hard," Ms Prachuap said. "Her passing has left me in great grief."
The Facebook page of the Soft Tennis Association of Thailand posted a condolences message, saying Janjao's death was not only a loss for the family, but soft tennis had also lost a young athlete with a promising future.
Funeral rites were being held on Tuesday at her home in Sukhothai.
Janjao poses with her latest trophy and a prize cheque of 1,500 baht, which she won at a competition in Pathum Thani, from which she was returning home. (Photo: Soft Tennis Association of Thailand Facebook page)
