A Thai woman sustained serious injuries and received eight stitches after iron rods slid off a pickup and pierced her head while she was riding a motorcycle in the northeastern province of Khon Kaen.
Thai social media users widely shared dashcam footage of the incident, sparking panic among motorists, particularly motorcyclists. The video depicts the woman parking her motorcycle near a pickup carrying long iron rods, which then slid off and struck her.
The victim, later identified as 21 year old Wanna, told Channel 7 that the incident occurred at 9.30am on Wednesday, July 2, on Jaeng Samit Road in the Ban Phai district of Khon Kaen. She stopped her motorcycle at the intersection, waiting to cross to the other side of the road.
Just three minutes after parking, the iron rods came hurtling towards her forehead. She instinctively turned her face to the left to protect her eyes, leading the rods to pierce into her right temple.
Wanna stated that the pickup driver immediately came to check on her and apologised. He admitted that he had failed to secure the iron rods properly, causing them to slide off the vehicle.
Residents and nearby motorists called a rescue team to the scene, and Wanna was rushed to a hospital after receiving first aid. She received six stitches for the wound on her forehead and two more for the wound on her right temple.
Wanna is required to visit the hospital daily to clean her wounds and has had to stop working while she recovers. She said that although the driver apologised, he had not mentioned any compensation. She now has no income and is at risk of losing her job.
Doctors have told Wanna that the wounds will leave scars on her face. She is calling for the pickup driver to take responsibility for the surgery and treatment needed to remove it.
Officers from Ban Phai Police Station told Channel 7 that they would act as a mediator in the compensation negotiations. Initially, police charged the pickup driver with reckless driving, causing injury to another person. The offence carries a penalty of up to one month’s imprisonment, a fine of up to 10,000 baht, or both.
As Wanna’s motorcycle was also damaged in the incident, the driver faces an additional charge under Section 420 of the Civil and Commercial Code: reckless behaviour causing damage to another person’s property. The penalty is appropriate financial compensation to the property owner.
The story Thai woman injured as iron rods fly off pickup on Khon Kaen road as seen on Thaiger News.
