A chain-reaction accident occurred when a pickup truck lost control and hit a utility pole in the road median, knocking it down beneath an 18-wheeler truck, which then stopped abruptly. A following passenger bus failed to brake in time, crashing into the truck's rear and veering off the road into a roadside frog-selling stall, causing numerous injuries totaling 32 people.
At 13:57 on 12 May 2026, investigators from Udomsap Police Station received a report of a serious accident on Highway 304 (Pak Thong Chai – Wang Nam Khiao) near kilometer marker 244 in Udomsap Subdistrict, Wang Nam Khiao District, Nakhon Ratchasima Province. A passenger bus on the Rayong-Ubon Ratchathani route lost control and crashed into the rear of a trailer truck, then veered off the road crushing a roadside shelter. Many people were injured, and emergency personnel mobilized quickly to provide aid.
At the scene, the Rayong-Pattaya-Ubon Ratchathani passenger bus, registered in Ubon Ratchathani, had veered off the road and collided with a roadside frog-selling stall, destroying it. Inside the bus, driver Sunthon Simud was trapped and had to be freed with hydraulic rescue tools; he suffered leg injuries. Additionally, 30 passengers were injured, along with two frog stall vendors, totaling 32 injured people who were urgently transported to Wang Nam Khiao Hospital.
Police Colonel Sommai Phisutsethsiri, chief of Udomsap Police Station, explained the sequence of events: This was a chain-reaction accident starting when a black pickup truck, license plate Yok 4574 from Khon Kaen, lost control and slid into a utility pole in the road median, knocking it over and blocking the road. At the same time, an 18-wheeler liquid truck, license plate 64-8735 Bangkok, was coming from the Wang Nam Khiao side. The fallen pole became lodged under the truck, forcing it to stop suddenly and unable to continue. A passenger bus following behind was unable to stop in time and crashed heavily into the truck's rear, then lost control and slid off the road, hitting the frog-selling stall. Initially, three people suffered moderate head injuries and 29 had minor injuries.
After the incident, Police Colonel Sommai ordered investigators and traffic officers to promptly collect evidence, interview all drivers and witnesses, and conduct a detailed scene reconstruction to proceed with legal actions against those involved. He also advised motorists on Highway 304 to exercise extra caution, especially on curves and steep slopes.