The mother of the 11-year-old boy who allegedly drove a pickup truck into a group of 34 Buddhist monks on a pilgrimage, killing eight and injuring many others, said she immediately called police after discovering her son had taken the vehicle, but officers were unable to intercept it before the crash.
The fatal incident occurred in Ban Na Si Nuan, Mueang district, Mukdahan province.
The boy's mother told investigators at Mueang Mukdahan Police Station that her son had taken the family's Isuzu pickup truck without permission. She said it was the first time he had ever done anything like this. Realising the truck was missing, she called Thailand's 191 emergency hotline and asked police to stop the vehicle. However, before officers could intervene, the truck lost control and ploughed into the procession of monks, resulting in multiple casualties. Major General Phairoj Thaiphutra, commander of Mukdahan Provincial Police, said the boy remains in shock and is not yet able to give a statement. Because the suspect is a child, investigators must follow multidisciplinary procedures when questioning him.
Police are also examining how the boy obtained and drove the vehicle, while forensic experts inspect the pickup truck to determine the cause of the crash. The investigation is expected to take some time because the child is still traumatised. Police have already questioned his parents and caregivers. Authorities said legal proceedings will follow the law, and the boy's parents could also face legal action because the case involves a child under the age of 15. Mukdahan's provincial public health office reported that four injured monks remain in critical condition, 10 sustained serious injuries, two suffered ruptured spleens, and many others sustained fractures. #ThailandNews
Urgent Blood Donation Appeal
Mukdahan Hospital is urgently calling for blood donations to help the injured monks following a tragic crash in which an 11-year-old boy allegedly stole his father's pickup truck and drove into a group of monks on a pilgrimage.
The collision left many monks seriously injured, while eight monks have died. The incident occurred on a road in Ban Na Si Nuan, Mueang district, Mukdahan. #ThailandNews #Mukdahan