Eight student cadets were injured when a Hua Hin–Pranburi route bus skidded on a rain-soaked road and crashed into a power pole while descending Khao Dang Pass on Thursday evening.
Police have charged the driver with reckless driving and damaging government property.
The accident occurred at around 6 p.m. on 30 October, when Pol. Lt. Theerut Chan-kaew, an investigator at Hua Hin Police Station, received a report of a crash near the downhill section of Khao Dang Pass on the Hua Hin–Nong Phlab Road. Rescue teams from the Sawang Hua Hin Foundation were dispatched to the scene.
Officers found the orange Hua Hin–Pranburi bus, route number 1774-4, with severe front-end damage and a detached front wheel. Inside were 12 student cadets from Hua Hin School returning from field training at Phetchaburi College of Agriculture. Eight students sustained minor injuries and were taken to Hua Hin Hospital. Teachers accompanied them and contacted their parents.
The driver, identified as 40-year-old Wittaya Onglin, from Pranburi, told police that the bus lost control as it descended a curve in heavy rain. He said the slippery road surface and a vehicle ahead forced him to brake repeatedly, causing the bus to skid into a power pole and roadside sign.
Mr Wittaya maintained that he had not been speeding and was familiar with the route, noting that the vehicle had been in service for more than 30 years and was regularly inspected and insured. He said this was his first accident.
Pol. Lt. Theerut said the driver has been initially charged with reckless driving resulting in damage to government property. Police will continue their investigation and question all involved parties before proceeding with legal action.
Images: หน่วยกู้ภัยสว่างหัวหินธรรมสถาน
