A freight train driver involved in a deadly collision with a public bus in Bangkok has tested positive for drugs and has been charged with reckless driving, Thai police confirmed.
The tragic accident occurred on Saturday afternoon at the busy Asoke-Din Daeng railway crossing when the freight train slammed into a public bus that had reportedly become stuck on the tracks due to heavy traffic congestion. The impact caused the bus to burst into flames, leaving at least eight people dead and dozens injured.
Authorities said the crossing barriers failed to lower properly because the bus was blocking the tracks. Police have also charged the bus driver and the railway guard responsible for manually operating the crossing barriers.
Officials have not disclosed what type of drugs were detected in the train driver’s urine test. Following the incident, Thailand’s Rail Transport Department ordered mandatory drug and alcohol testing for all train drivers and railway staff before starting their shifts.
According to Pichet Kunadhamraks, director-general of the department, preliminary data from the train’s black box revealed that the emergency braking system was activated only about 100 meters before the collision, which was too late to stop the train in time.
Experts say the Asoke-Din Daeng railway crossing is one of Bangkok’s busiest and most dangerous intersections, with more than 100,000 vehicles reportedly passing through it every day. Structural Engineers Association of Thailand president Dr. Amorn Phimarnmas warned that years of risky driving behavior around the crossing have led to what he described as “risk normalisation,” where dangerous practices become routine until disaster strikes.