The death toll has now risen to 10 after a pickup truck driven by an 11 year old boy crashed into a group of monks in Mukdahan, as the child’s mother said she called police before the collision, but officers were unable to intercept the vehicle in time.
The latest update follows yesterday’s crash in Na Si Nuan subdistrict, Mueang district, Mukdahan, in which a pickup truck hit a group of 34 monks on pilgrimage. Police are continuing to investigate the cause of the collision.
The boy’s mother met investigators at Mueang Mukdahan Police Station yesterday. She told police her son had taken the family’s Isuzu pickup truck without her knowledge and said it was the first time he had done anything like this.
After realising the vehicle was missing, she immediately called the 191 emergency hotline and asked police to intercept it. However, officers were unable to stop the pickup before it lost control and collided with the monks.
Khaosod reported that Mukdahan Provincial Police commander Major General Phairoj Thaiphutra said the child remains in shock and is not yet able to give a statement.
Phairoj said investigators must follow multidisciplinary procedures required in cases involving children while examining how the vehicle was taken and the circumstances leading to the collision. The pickup truck will also undergo a forensic examination as part of the investigation.
He added that the inquiry is expected to take some time because the child is still unable to be interviewed. Investigators have instead questioned the guardians responsible for the boy’s care.
Police said any legal action will proceed in accordance with Thai law. Phairoj said investigators are also considering whether legal action could extend to the child’s parents because the case involves a child under the age of 15.
The news page operated by journalist Sorayuth Suthassanachinda also reported that the pickup truck had a manual transmission rather than an automatic gearbox. The page noted that driving it would require prior experience because the vehicle must be operated with a clutch and manual gear changes.
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