The families of two students tragically killed in a collision between a school bus and a six-wheeled soil truck are demanding justice and accountability for the incident. The crash occurred at approximately 5:00 PM on October 29, 2024, at an intersection near Suan Nok Park in the Samed Subdistrict of Buriram, leaving the local community in mourning and anger.
At the time of the accident, the school bus was transporting students back to their villages when it attempted to make a right turn onto a side road. A soil truck traveling straight from the opposite direction struck the rear of the bus. This impact resulted in three students, who were standing at the back of the bus, being thrown from the vehicle. Among them, a 13-year-old girl, identified as “Nin,” a seventh-grader, and a 16-year-old girl, “Om-am,” a Grade 11 student, were pronounced dead at the scene. Another student, a 12th grader, sustained serious injuries.
The families of the deceased are devastated and have raised serious concerns regarding accountability from both drivers involved in the collision. The driver of the soil truck, identified as Mr. Methee, 30, asserts that he was traveling straight and claims he is not at fault. Conversely, Mr. Luea, the 77-year-old school bus driver, contends that he had cleared the lane before the accident and blames the soil truck for the crash. Alarmingly, Mr. Luea reportedly took the bus to a repair shop shortly after the incident, which raised suspicions of him attempting to destroy evidence. He has since been uncooperative with the authorities.
Ms. Saranya, Om-am’s mother, expressed her overwhelming grief, noting that school had just reopened two days prior to the accident. She voiced her frustration over the bus driver’s apparent refusal to take responsibility, emphasizing the family’s distress over the lack of support and compensation following their loss.
Similarly, Ms. Prakrong, Nin’s mother, recounted the heartbreaking moment she found her daughter lying face-down on the road. She described how Mr. Luea had been routinely transporting 20 to 30 students daily without anticipating such a tragic event. Ms. Prakrong expressed her confusion and hurt that neither driver has reached out to the grieving families, lamenting the loss of her daughter’s dream of becoming a teacher.
The local community is now united in calling for a comprehensive investigation into the accident and appropriate measures to hold those responsible accountable for their actions.
