11-year-old boy crashes pickup into monks on pilgrimage in Thailand, killing 8.
An 11-year-old boy drove a pickup truck into a group of Buddhist monks on a pilgrimage walk in northeastern Thailand on Thursday, killing eight and injuring many others. The boy, who took his parents' vehicle without permission, is in custody as authorities investigate.
The group had started the 260-kilometer walk to Ubon Ratchathani province about 30 minutes before the crash. Police said the cause of the accident is still under investigation, but monks told them they saw the vehicle swerving before it slid off the road and crashed into the group. The child took his parents’ vehicle without permission and drove into the procession, local police told Al Jazeera. CCTV footage from a nearby property shows the monks walking along the road, several vehicles passing by, and then the sound of a loud crash before the procession stops.
Local police said the boy is now in custody and will be questioned. Police said he had taken his parents’ pick-up truck without permission before losing control and crashing into the monks. Health authorities said four monks were in critical condition at Mukdahan Hospital and 10 others were seriously hurt, while more were being treated for lighter injuries. Reports said 10 to 20 other people were injured, according to police and health officials.
A surviving monk described the crash: Then suddenly the truck hit at full speed and crashed into us like this, he said, gesturing. Luckily, another monk and I managed to jump out of the way in time, he added. But others who were hit were thrown into the air.