NAKHON PHANOM – An American man aged 69 was killed after his motorcycle was struck from behind by an ice delivery truck on a bypass road in Nakhon Phanom on Monday, police said.
Police from Muang Nakhon Phanom station were alerted to the accident on the Nakhon Phanom-Tha Uthen bypass road, heading into the city, on 12 October.
The victim, identified as Daniel, was found dead beneath the truck. His motorcycle, a Honda, was found overturned nearby, with its rear section crushed and the rear wheel bent out of shape.
The truck, a white Toyota vehicle fitted with an enclosed cargo compartment, had also struck a streetlight pole. Its driver, Lamphorn Chanjumpum, 47, a resident of the area, remained at the scene to give a statement.
A preliminary investigation found that the truck was delivering ice when it collided with the motorcycle, which had reportedly just left Big C Nakhon Phanom shopping centre. The victim was believed to have been heading home to Chom Khong village in the city.
Police suspect the truck was travelling at high speed and could not stop in time before hitting the motorcycle from behind. The impact reportedly threw the motorcycle off balance, while the truck continued into a streetlight pole. The victim became trapped beneath the vehicle and died at the scene.
Police are reviewing CCTV footage from the surrounding area and conducting further investigations to establish the exact cause of the accident. They will also notify the US Embassy because an American citizen died in the crash.
After the accident, a female Immigration Bureau police officer arrived at the scene and identified herself as the victim’s wife. She said they had lived together for several years, with her husband choosing to stay in Nakhon Phanom because he liked the local atmosphere.
She said he regularly rode his motorcycle to Big C to buy food, despite owning a car, and had been doing so before the fatal accident.