Four people were injured when a referral van from Kanthararom Hospital lost control and crashed into a utility pole in Sisaket Province while transporting a patient for further treatment.A nursein the vehicle is in critical condition. The driver admitted to falling asleep due to lack of rest.
At 13:30 on 21 Apr 2026 GMT+7, Police Lieutenant Colonel Akrapong Thewela, an investigator at Mueang Sisaket Police Station, received a report of an ambulance losing control and hitting a utility pole, causing multiple injuries on Highway 226, Sisaket-Kanthararom route, in front of Kraiphakdi Witthayakhom School, Pho Subdistrict, Mueang District, Sisaket Province. He immediately coordinated with Sawangjit Sisaket Thammasathan Rescue Unit,emergency medical services,from Phetkasem Sisaket Foundation and Sisaket Hospital staff before rushing to the scene.
Upon arrival, they found a referral ambulance van from Kanthararom Hospital, license plate KJ 8781 Sisaket, crashed against a roadside utility pole. The front of the vehicle was severely damaged. Four people were injured: two Kanthararom Hospital staff members, one patient, and one patient's relative, including a nurse who was critically injured. Additionally, two motorcycles parked by the roadside were damaged by the referral van.
The driver of the referral van told investigators that he was transporting a patient from Kanthararom Hospital to Sisaket Hospital when he fell asleep at the wheel near the crash site. He said he had no memory after that until he regained consciousness to find the van had collided with a utility pole, breaking it. He attributed falling asleep to insufficient rest after working two consecutive shifts, which caused the accident.
Mr. Thawat Chai Nainit, 42, a witness, said he was loading goods into a vehicle for a customer near the crash site in front of a shop when he heard a loud noise. Turning to look, he saw the referral van crashing into the utility pole. He was shocked but quickly checked on those inside the vehicle and called the police.
He added that if the van had not hit the utility pole first, it likely would have crashed into parked vehicles in front of the shop, causing more damage, or destroyed goods and furniture inside the store. He believed he would have been seriously injured or killed as he was unprepared for the crash.
Police collected evidence at the scene, interviewed witnesses and injured parties, and will proceed with legal action accordingly.
