Horrifying Video Shows Concrete Pole Falling Onto Family’s Car
Natchawan Sangmuan, 41, her husband Sittikorn Gnamwan, 40, and their son Parattakorn, 8, were driving along a new highway that was under construction in Nakhon Ratchasima in Thailand on May 25th when a cement mixer pulled down a post in a section of roadworks.
The post, which was holding power lines, fell onto the family’s Toyota completely ruining the entire front-end of the vehicle. The pole also smashed through the windscreen, causing glass shards to cut Parattakorn’s legs resulting in blood gushing out. The mother has been in a neck brace ever since, and Gnamwan was also injured in the accident.
Dash camera footage has appeared online, which you can view below. Viewers should be warned that the footage contains graphic scenes.
[youtube v=”OhLzlaR6S4s”]
The family became furious when the construction company offered the family 50,000 baht in compensation – equivalent to $1,500 USD. The family have turned the amount down, saying it wouldn’t even cover the damage to the car. The dash cam footage was released this week after legal proceedings against the construction firm started. Natchawan said;
“We were going on a weekend away as a family and it turned into a nightmare. As we drove along the motorway a cement truck on the construction site knocked over a concrete pole and it fell onto our car. There was nothing we could do. My husband did his best to get the car out of danger so it did not cause a bigger accident.”
“I have been wearing a neck cast since the accident. The construction company only offered 50,000THB compensation which barely covers the total cost of the damage. We are still injured and we have had to miss work and pay for medical bills. The construction company only visited once in hospital. They don’t care about me.”
Natchawan has taken civil action against the construction company, stating that the cement truck driver was operating unsupervised. “The driver is supposed be assisted by a co-driver but he was alone. My concern is that the government can allow a negligent company like this to be handling a road construction. They have put road users safety at risk,” she said.
