SAMUT PRAKAN, Thailand— 47 poles and 37 passing vehicles were damaged after a 22-wheel tractor-trailer struck an electric post in Bang Phli district of Samut Prakan on Saturday, August 1. The impact of the crash on a power post was so strong that it created a chain reaction causing 46 other power poles to fall down on to the heavily trafficked road.

The incident happened between kilometer marker 17 and 19 along Theparak Road in Tambon Bang Plan Saturday afternoon. The 48-year old truck driver, Suthep Iam-samarng, was trying to back his truck onto the shoulder of the road to deliver steel coils to a hardware store at kilometer 18 but was not able to control the long trailer and it hit the concrete utility pole which resulted in pulling down other 46 poles. Among the poles were the ten 21-meter high-voltage poles and 37 medium sized poles covering about two kilometers long of road. As a result, 37 vehicles passing on both inbound and outbound lanes were damaged.

Luckily, only one motorist, Suriyan Bandarn, was reported to have minor injury. Included in the damaged infrastructure were the pedestrian bridges within the accident zone.

For safety purposes, the authorities cut off temporarily the electricity in the area and closed the affected section of the road and this caused traffic congestion covering up to ten kilometers.

The trailer driver will be charged of reckless driving resulting to damage of property and injury.

Source: Bangkok Post