A woman was killed this morning after she rode her motorbike over a railway crossing in Bang Sue district and was hit by a runaway train carriage.
Salee Suikwa, 55, was dragged about 100 meters from the crossing by a cargo car loaded with wood that had detached from the train near Bangson Train Station around 6am today. She was killed instantly.
According to Suthon Nantaphon, the railway crossing watchman, the first part of the train had already passed the crossing, but he did could see the detached carriage still trailing about 50 meters behind it, so he raised the barricades to allow traffic to resume.
Another motorist driving a Honda narrowly escaped death.
The driver, Napat Wongsangkaew, 25, said her vehicle was clipped by the carriage and sent spinning. She was lucky to escape without injury, she said.
Police are investigating the scene and will question witnesses, Daily News reported.
The State Railway of Thailand is notorious for serious safety lapses including trains that frequently derail.
Wutthichart Kalayanamit, railway director, said the organization has called a meeting with the officers involved. The organization will pay compensation to the deceased’s family, according to Sanook.
