PATTAYA, Thailand – A monk from Wat Pong Saket was killed by a car while crossing Highway 331 in east Pattaya on December 22. The monk, identified as Phra Adisorn Tittamano, 42, was on his way back to the temple after collecting alms when he was hit by a white Honda Jazz driven by a Grab taxi driver.
The Banglamung Police Station received a report of the tragic accident and dispatched rescue personnel to the scene. They found the monk’s lifeless body on the road, covered with a white cloth, and the car parked in the emergency lane with its front severely damaged and the windshield shattered.
The driver, Wacharasuan Naonongwai, 28, said that he was driving in the rightmost lane to pick up passengers in Pattaya. He did not see the monk crossing the road, as there were other vehicles in the left lane. He could not avoid the collision, which caused the monk to be thrown onto the windshield before falling to the ground.
Another monk from the same temple, Phra Anucha Nathakaro, 50, said that Phra Adisorn had been a monk for four years and used this route for alms every day. They crossed the flyover pedestrian bridge near the temple entrance and walked along the road. On this day, Phra Anucha saw a car coming and stepped back, but Phra Adisorn continued crossing, leading to the fatal accident.
The police collected preliminary evidence and photographs from the accident scene. They will also examine the closed-circuit television footage to support the case. The monk’s body has been taken to Banglamung Hospital, where his relatives will conduct religious rites according to Buddhist customs. The accident has shocked and saddened the local community, who expressed their condolences and prayers for the monk and his family.
