Tragedy fell over Northeastern Thailand this week after an 11-year-old boy drove a pickup truck into a group of Buddhist monks on a pilgrimage walk, resulting in nine fatalities.
After the car accident on Thursday (June 12), five monks and four other individuals died from their injuries at a local hospital, according to CBS News. At least 13 others were injured. A graphic video from the incident shows the pickup truck plowing into the single-file procession head-on.
The group, consisting of 34 monks and five lay followers, began their walk in the Mukdahan province. Roughly 30 minutes into the 260-kilometer pilgrimage, the crash occurred.
Police Major General Pairoj Thaiphutra said the boy, who has special needs, took the vehicle from his family home without permission and traveled approximately six miles before losing control and hitting the group. Law officials have not filed any charges but have been unable to interview the boy, who was in a state of shock after the accident, per The Guardian. Surviving monks told police the vehicle was swerving before the deadly incident.
One survivor described the moment of impact in a statement, as reported by CBS News. "I saw a boy driving a pickup truck, approaching,” said monk Phra Sompong. “At that moment I was chanting [meditation mantra] 'Buddho, Buddho.' Then suddenly the truck hit at full speed and crashed us like this."
Mukdahan Hospital issued an urgent appeal for blood donations to treat the injured, per BBC News. Mukdahan provincial governor Worayan Bunnarat called for improved parental responsibility and widespread public awareness around road safety following the crash.
"We've been very strict on road safety in recent years,” Bunnarat said. “This case should be a lesson not just for our province, but for the public in general when it comes to preventing road accidents.”
