A taxi driver was killed when he drove around a railway crossing barrier and into the path of a passenger train in Thung Song Hong area of Bangkok on Friday morning.
The crossing was at North Park intersection in Laksi district, said Pol Maj Anuchit Chartchuliam, investigation chief at Thung Song Hong. The fatal collision was reported to police about 6am.
Emergency responders reported finding a Bangkok-Kaeng Khoi train with four carriages stopped on the crossing, the front hard up against a crumpled green and yellow taxi. The cabbie was dead in the driver's seat, trapped inside the wreckage.
The cabbie's driver's licence identified him as Sub Lt Chucheep Wangthong, 65.
A member of the train crew, identified only as Mana, told police the train left Hua Lamphong station at 5.20am for Kaeng Khoi. When it arrived at the crossing a railway staffer had already lowered the barrier. Suddenly, a taxi drove around the barrier and into the path of train, which collided with the taxi.
Ekkarat Sriarayanpong, State Railway of Thailand public relations chief, said later that the crash occured at 5.50am on Friday.
The automatic barrier had already lowered. A taxi travelling from Khamphaeng Phet Road towatds Vibhavadi Road drove around the crossing barrier and into the path of train, which hit it.
Mr Ekkarat said the train driver said he blew the warning klaxon several times and slowed down as he approached the crossing, but the taxi did not stop and drove in front of the train. A fact-finding investigation had been orderd into the collision and how it could have been avoided, he said.
