A pedestrian bridge collapsed on Bangna-Trat Road, resulting in the death of a pickup truck driver. The truck driver suffered minor injuries. Police are preparing to detain the truck driver for legal proceedings related to the incident.
The incident involved a dump truck striking a pedestrian overpass, causing it to collapse onto the truck and a pickup beneath, blocking the main inbound lanes on Thepharak Road (Bangna-Trat). Rescue teams rushed to assist those trapped inside, as previously reported.
Mr. Suphamit Chinsri, Governor of Samut Prakan, stated that after the incident, officials were dispatched to the area and traffic reopening was delayed. Two cranes were insufficient to lift and move the 60–70 ton pedestrian bridge. Coordination is underway to bring a third crane to assist, expected to continue until this evening. He advised the public to avoid the inbound Bangna-Trat route to Bangkok.
Regarding the injured truck driver, police are monitoring him closely and plan to detain him for legal action. Initial reports indicate he sustained only minor injuries.
The deceased was Mr. Noom, 57, a pickup driver transporting eggs and employed by an egg delivery shop in Samut Sakhon Province. He had recently collected eggs from a farm in Chachoengsao Province and was en route to the shop in Samut Sakhon. The injured individual is currently receiving treatment at Ramathibodi Chakri Naruebodindra Hospital in Bangna.
Mr. Piyapong Jiwattanakulpaisan, Director-General of the Department of Highways, reported that the pedestrian bridge was damaged over a length of about 15–16 meters. The collapse was not due to the bridge's structural strength but because a truck with its dump bed raised struck the bridge's side, which it was not designed to bear.
The damage is divided into two aspects: first, the truck driver's negligence, which the police must investigate thoroughly; second, the Department of Highways will assess the bridge's structural damage.
The bridge construction cost was about 10 million baht. Engineers will inspect the remaining structure to determine if it can be repaired or must be demolished and rebuilt. The focus is on whether the original structure is strong enough for repair. Meanwhile, the Department of Highways has gathered evidence and filed a report with Bang Phli Noi Police Station.