The death toll has risen to 10 following a devastating road crash in Mukdahan, Thailand, after a pickup truck allegedly driven by an 11-year-old boy ploughed into a group of monks taking part in a religious pilgrimage.
The tragedy occurred in Na Si Nuan subdistrict, Mueang Mukdahan district, where 34 monks were walking together when the pickup truck lost control and crashed into the group. More than 20 others were also injured in the incident.
According to Thai authorities, the boy’s mother told investigators she had no idea her son had taken the family’s Isuzu pickup truck. She claimed it was the first time he had driven the vehicle without permission.
After discovering the pickup was missing, she immediately contacted Thailand’s 191 emergency hotline and asked police to intercept the vehicle. However, officers were unable to stop it before the fatal collision occurred.
Mukdahan Provincial Police commander Major General Phairoj Thaiphutra said the child remains traumatised and is currently unable to provide a statement to investigators.
Police said the investigation will follow legal procedures for cases involving minors, including determining how the boy gained access to the vehicle and the events leading up to the crash. The pickup truck has also been sent for forensic examination.
Authorities said investigators are currently interviewing the child’s guardians while waiting for the boy to recover sufficiently to be questioned.
Police added that any legal action will proceed in accordance with Thai law. Investigators are also examining whether the boy’s parents could face legal consequences, as the case involves a child below the age of 15.
Local media also reported that the pickup truck was fitted with a manual transmission, meaning it required the use of a clutch and manual gear changes. The report suggested the vehicle could not have been driven without at least some prior driving experience.
Investigations into one of Thailand’s deadliest road tragedies in recent months remain ongoing as authorities work to establish the full circumstances surrounding the crash.
