SI RACHA, Chon Buri — A devastating chain-reaction crash on Sukhumvit Road in the early hours of February 19 has left three people dead and sixteen others injured after a minivan lost control on a curve, crossed into oncoming traffic, and collided head-on with another van before a following car plowed into the wreckage. The tragic incident occurred near the Ban Na bridge in Thung Sukhla subdistrict, along the inbound lane to Pattaya, plunging the local community into mourning and raising urgent questions about road safety on one of the region’s busiest thoroughfares.

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Police Lieutenant Colonel Amnat Kampol, an investigating officer at Laem Chabang Police Station, reported that authorities were alerted to the collision in the early morning darkness and promptly responded alongside detectives and rescue workers from the Sawang Prateep Si Racha Foundation. Upon arrival at the scene, situated on a separated multi-lane carriageway, officers were confronted with a scene of utter devastation. At the center of the road lay a white minivan registered in Bangkok, its front end completely crushed and mangled from the force of the initial impact. The male driver had been violently ejected from the vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Just nearby, a second white minivan, also bearing Bangkok registration, had been overturned by the force of the collision and lay on its side. Inside this overturned vehicle, rescue personnel made the grim discovery of both the male driver and a female front-seat passenger, each found deceased. The interior of the van bore witness to the chaos of the crash, with personal belongings scattered among the debris.

The toll of human suffering extended far beyond the fatalities. A total of sixteen passengers from both vans sustained injuries ranging from minor cuts and bruises to more serious trauma. The injured included ten women, three men, and three young girls, highlighting the vulnerability of families and individuals traveling through the night. Rescuers worked quickly to provide first aid at the scene before coordinating the urgent transportation of all sixteen to Laem Chabang Hospital for further medical evaluation and treatment.

MY ADVICE NEVER TAKE THESE DEATH VANS

Tragedy struck early this morning on Sukhumvit Road near Pattaya, where a devastating collision involving several passenger vans resulted in the deaths of three individuals and left 16 others injured in Thailand pic.twitter.com/LwdMqMGRaG

— Personal Thailand (@PersonalThai) February 19, 2026

A short distance from the primary crash site, investigators discovered a white Ford car registered in Chon Buri with significant front-end damage. The driver of this vehicle, who sustained only minor injuries, had been traveling behind the initial two vans and was unable to stop in time, striking the wreckage that had accumulated in the roadway moments after the head-on collision.

Preliminary witness accounts provided to police painted a harrowing picture of the sequence of events. According to those who saw the crash unfold, one of the minivans, traveling in the direction of Si Racha, appeared to lose control while navigating the curve near the Ban Na bridge. The vehicle then crossed over the median divide, entering the lane of oncoming traffic where it slammed headlong into the second van. The subsequent collision with the following Ford car compounded the initial tragedy, adding another layer of destruction to an already catastrophic event.

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In the aftermath, officers from Laem Chabang Police Station have launched a full investigation into the cause of the crash. They have meticulously documented the scene, gathering physical evidence and taking measurements to reconstruct the dynamics of the accident. Witnesses have been questioned, but authorities have indicated that detailed interviews with the injured survivors will be conducted once their medical conditions have stabilized sufficiently. These testimonies are expected to be crucial in determining whether driver error, mechanical failure, fatigue, or other factors contributed to the van losing control on that fateful curve, claiming three lives and leaving a trail of injured victims in its wake.

-Thailand News (TN)