This time it wasn’t the brakes.
A bus has crashed in the southern Thai province of Songkhla, injuring 10 people, after the driver tried to retrieve a dropped mobile phone. According to a Phuket Express report, the driver lost control of the vehicle on the Asia Road in the Kamphaeng Phet sub-district of Rattaphum district.
The bus was travelling from Bangkok to Hat Yai, in Songkhla, with 30 passengers on board. It was a scheduled inter-provincial bus, with the passengers riding above the luggage underneath. Rattaphum Police were notified of the incident yesterday morning, May 23.
Rescue workers arrived to find the bus had gone off the road and there were 10 injured people still inside, including a woman with a broken leg.
According to the report, there were 2 drivers on board the bus, which is standard practice for long haul bus journeys in Thailand. One of the drivers, named as 49 year old Sawas Srusen, spoke to the media.
“I was sleeping, while the second driver was driving the bus. The second driver told me that he was trying to pick up a mobile phone he dropped before he lost control of the bus. There were only about 22 kilometres left before arriving at the destination.”
The injured passengers were transported to local hospitals for treatment and Rattaphum Police have launched an investigation into the accident.
The authorities have not disclosed the name of the man who was driving the bus at the time, nor have they confirmed if he or the bus company will face legal action.
SOURCE: The Phuket Express
