Pickup truck overturns on slippery road after monsoon downpour in Thailand

This is the dramatic moment a pickup truck overturned on a slippery road after heavy rain in Thailand.

CCTV footage shows the black Ford Ranger hurtling across the wet Highway 349 route in Chonburi province on July 26 afternoon.

The pickup veered toward the median lane before spinning out of control into a Honda City sedan on the opposite side.

Police Major Wirat Trakoonthai of the Ban Bueng Police Station arrived at the scene with rescuers at around 4:30 pm local time.

He said: 'A black Ford pickup truck with a Rayong license plate was found overturned with its wheels pointing to the sky. The driver was trapped in the driver's seat. Fortunately, there was a steel bar that prevented the roof from collapsing under him.'

The pickup driver Narit Sudhuaykaew, 56, was suffering chest pains as rescuers extracted him from his seat. He claimed he was trying to overtake the car in front of him, but lost control.

He said: 'I often use this road, so I know it's accident-prone. I'm always careful when driving here. I didn't think I'd be in an accident myself.'

Meanwhile, medics tended to the sedan driver, Pranee Srinuan, 55, and her passenger Chankajon Srinuan, 45, both also suffering chest tightness.

The three injured individuals were taken to the Ban Bueng Hospital for treatment.

A restaurant owner, Pongsakorn Jaima, 60, said the pickup truck had nearly crashed into the car of one of his customers.

He said: 'This area is notorious for crashes. I hope drivers will be more careful and avoid going at high speeds when travelling here.'

Another local, garage owner Rangsan Bangsai, 50, echoed the same sentiments, urging drivers to exercise caution especially during the rainy season.

He said: 'If an accident occurs, the villagers' properties are also affected. There may be injuries and losses. I've heard that the relevant agencies are going to fix the road surface. I hope they do that quickly.'

Thailand has one of the world's worst road safety records. Ministers have set the goal of reducing fatalities from 32.7 deaths per 100,000 people to 12 per 100,000 people by the year 2027.

However, a lack of road safety education in schools along with notoriously easy driving tests, police failures to enforce road laws, and chronic under-investment in infrastructure, all appear to hamper the efforts.