A foreign driver narrowly avoided being hit by an oncoming oil tanker train after allegedly trying to beat a lowering railway barrier at a level crossing in Pattaya yesterday afternoon, according to a widely shared social media video and a witness account.
The incident occurred at around 3.30pm on July 7 at a railway crossing on Soi Khao Talo, Nong Prue subdistrict, Bang Lamung district, Chon Buri.
The driver of a bronze four-wheel-drive lifted Toyota pickup, instead of waiting a few minutes for the train to pass, the vehicle reportedly attempted to drive through as the warning signals and barrier were already activating.
The barrier came down onto the bonnet of the truck, leaving the vehicle stuck near the tracks just as the train approached.
According to 34 year old Cha, the witness who filmed and shared the video, the warning lights and barrier had begun operating normally to stop traffic before the pickup tried to accelerate through. He said the barrier landed on the vehicle, trapping it beside the railway line.
Speaking to Pattaya News, Cha described the moments before the train stopped:
“Before the incident, the warning signals were already flashing, and the barriers were coming down to stop traffic,
“But this foreign driver in the pickup tried to force his way through anyway. The barrier ended up resting on the hood of his truck, causing him to get stuck, leaving the vehicle stranded right next to the tracks,
“The train was blowing its horn, and you could hear the brakes screeching. It stopped just in time – it was extremely close.”
The train, which was carrying oil tankers, reportedly sounded its horn continuously as it approached before braking hard and coming to a stop slightly past the pickup. The front bumper of the train grazed the truck slightly, but no one was injured.
After the incident, the train crew photographed the pickup truck as a record before continuing on toward Laem Chabang. The pickup then drove away from the scene into Soi Khao Talo.
By 6pm the same day, reporters from Siam Chon news at the site reported that officials had installed warning signage instructing drivers to stop and wait for train signals, aimed at preventing similar incidents at the crossing.
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