A 65-year old man, his wife and 14-year old son narrowly escaped death when their pick-up truck in which they were travelling broke through a train barricade was rammed by a train in Na Bon district of Nakhon Si Thammarat province.
The vehicle was almost completely wrecked but the driver, Suthin Buathip, and his son suffered only some bruises, but his wife, Mrs Kasemsuk, was seriously injured. All three of them were later rushed to Na Bon district hospital for medical treatment.
Police said that the family of three was heading for Nakhon Si Thammarat from Sikao district of Trang province to visit relatives. However, while the pick-up truck was approached a railway crossing in Na Bon tambon municipal, the train barricade automatically dropped signaling the arrival of the Bangkok-Yala train.
Instead of stopping the car, Suthin allegedly tried to navigate through the train barricade in order to cross the railway track but failed. The train rammed into the vehicle and dragged it away before stopping about 10 metres from the railway crossing.
The impact from the collision flung Mrs Kasemsuk out of the vehicle while the two others were stuck in the wreckage.
The train driver later told police that he managed to apply the brake when he saw the pick-up truck trying to cross the track otherwise all the three occupants in the vehicle could have been killed.
