A young soft tennis player was killed when a car ran into the back of the pickup truck she was travelling in on Sunday night in Sukhothai, leaving her family and the sport's fans devastated.
The accident happened about 11.30pm near a petrol station in Muang Sukhothai district.
The 10-year-old girl, Cheryada Dee-in, aka Janjao, was travelling in the back of the pickup, returning to her home in Sukhothai after competing in Pathum Thani province.
She was placed second in the female individual under-12 event.
A car ran into the back of the pickup causing the driver to lose control. The pickup hit two power poles, breaking them both, and then crashed into the wall of a roadside house, according to rescuers.
Janjao was thrown out of the pickup by the impact, landed on the house roof, broke through it and fell to the floor, rescuers said.
The old couple who own the house said they heard the crash outside and called the rescuers. They later found the girl’s body inside their home.
Janjao’s grandmother said Janjao was a lively girl and had liked and played sport since she was only 4 years old, winning various titles.
The Facebook page of the Soft Tennis Association of Thailand posted a condolences message, saying Jaojan's death was not only a loss for the family, but soft tennis had also lost a young athlete with a promising future.
