The Department of Highways explained that a crane collapsed at a construction site on Rama 2 Road, killing one worker, and emphasized it is not related to the elevated motorway M82 construction project in the area.
At approximately 13:30 on 9 July 2026, Police Lieutenant Imsutinan Pongsurathorn, deputy investigator at Bang Thorat Police Station, received a report of a crane collapse that crushed a worker to death at the parallel road construction site on Rama 2 Road, between kilometer markers 39+000 and 40+050, near the Khlong Luang bridge U-turn in Bang Thorat Subdistrict, Mueang District, Samut Sakhon Province. She promptly went to the scene with Police Colonel Thiraphat Jirasrisakul, chief of Bang Thorat Police Station; Mr. Amnat Charoensri, Governor of Samut Sakhon; Mr. Banphot Jantrawong, Provincial Clerk; Major Praphan Theuksakun, District Chief of Mueang Samut Sakhon; forensic officers; and representatives from the Samut Sakhon Charity Foundation, along with other relevant officials to inspect the site.
The body of Mr. Wichian Pongthonglang, 64, was found dead beneath the crane. According to Mr. Phiphat Juangphan, 53, a worker, at the time of the incident Mr. Wichian climbed to the second level. Mr. Phiphat was lifting a pile as usual; the pile was nearly upright when the top bent and the load shifted. When the pile tilted, he released it, and it continued to tilt. Mr. Wichian fell, but Mr. Phiphat did not know how or why he climbed up, as they normally do not go up there. Mr. Phiphat has worked for almost 40 years and has never experienced such an incident before.
Mr. Wiroj Pongthonglang, 38, the deceased's son who works at the same site, said he was lifting the pile when the crane tipped and fell because one of its legs bent. Actually, his father was supposed to be driving a vehicle, but that day he climbed up to hold the concrete pile.
Officials' inspection found the accident occurred while lifting a pile for driving when the crane lost balance and toppled due to centrifugal force. The project is the parallel road construction on Rama 2 Road (Highway 35).
Police instructed the Samut Sakhon Charity Foundation to take the deceased's body to Samut Sakhon Hospital and will continue investigating all parties involved to determine the true cause of the death.
Meanwhile, Mr. Piyapong Jiwattanakulpaisan, Director-General of the Department of Highways (DOH), revealed that the DOH's Construction Office 1 reported that at about 13:30 on 9 July 2026, a crane collapsed at the parallel road construction site on Rama 2 Road (Highway 35), killing one worker. The construction is operated by a limited partnership. He emphasized the incident is unrelated to the elevated motorway M82 project, and no other damages were reported.
The accident site is within the parallel road construction area on Rama 2 Road between kilometer markers 39+000 and 40+050, near the Khlong Luang bridge U-turn in Bang Thorat Subdistrict, Mueang Samut Sakhon District, Samut Sakhon Province. The incident occurred within a closed construction zone separated from traffic lanes and did not affect public traffic flow on Highway 35.
Further investigation confirmed the accident happened while lifting a pile for driving when the crane lost balance and toppled due to centrifugal force. The Department of Highways is currently investigating the true cause of the accident.