Dump Truck Bed Slices Through Bang Na-Trat Footbridge, Killing Motorist

Bangkok commuters heading into the city on Debaratna Road were met with a scene more reminiscent of a disaster film than the usual mid-morning gridlock: a pedestrian overpass, sheared in half by a dump truck’s raised bed, had collapsed across all inbound lanes, fatally crushing a pickup and forcing thousands of motorists to a standstill.

Quick glance at the essentials

• 1 man killed, 1 injured when the bridge section fell at km 34 of Bang Na-Trat Road.

• The 18-wheeler’s raised tipper slammed the span, triggering a collapse of roughly 16 m of concrete.

• Police have detained the driver and are preparing multiple charges, including reckless driving causing death.

• Two 60-70 t cranes were needed to clear the wreckage; traffic only resumed after three hours.

• Civil engineers warn that Thailand’s older footbridges were never designed for side impacts of this magnitude.

Morning commute turns deadly in Bang Bo district

What began as a routine Thursday for shoppers at Talad Nam Thai and factory workers from eastern Samut Prakan ended in tragedy at 9 : 15 a.m. Witnesses say the north-bound tractor-trailer exited a soil-dumping site with its hydraulic bed still elevated. Drivers in adjacent lanes reportedly honked desperately, but the warning came seconds too late. The metal bed hit the underside of the pedestrian bridge, ripping out its central beam. In one devastating motion, the concrete slab crashed onto the truck itself and an adjacent pickup loaded with eggs. The pickup’s driver, 59-year-old Sangwian Mekkhiao, died instantly.

What investigators know so far

Police from Bang Phli Noi station have already pieced together a preliminary timeline. The truck, registered in Chachoengsao, had delivered fill to a U-turn construction site and, according to investigators, the 65-year-old driver Luechai Bua-phian forgot to lower the bed before re-entering traffic. High-definition CCTV along the corridor captured the raised body clearing two earlier gantries but striking the overpass at roughly 55 km/h. The impact torqued the main girder, compromising load distribution and causing the span to rotate off its bearings. Department of Highways director-general Piyapong Jiwattanakulpaisarn confirmed that while the structure met vertical load codes, it lacked lateral impact reinforcement now common in AASHTO standards.

Engineering red flags exposed by the collapse

The fallen walkway, built in 2015 at a cost of 10 M baht, represents a generation of footbridges designed primarily for pedestrian weight and wind loads—not for the accidental blow of a multi-tonne vehicle. Structural engineers consulted by the Bangkok Post note that Thailand still follows an adapted AASHTO spec that allows local discretion on side-impact shielding. Modern designs in Japan and Singapore often include sacrificial crash beams or extended protective piers. "The greater Bangkok area counts more than 340 pedestrian overpasses, many less than 5.5 m above the carriageway. Without retrofits, any one of them could fail under similar circumstances," warned Assoc. Prof. Thitirat Chantarangsu from Chulalongkorn University’s civil-engineering faculty.

Legal fallout: what charges lie ahead

Luechai, currently recovering from minor head wounds at a private hospital, is expected to face Section 291 of the Criminal Code—reckless action causing another person’s death. Additional indictments under the Land Transport Act (over-height load) and Highway Act (destruction of state property) are being prepared. Insurance experts estimate that total civil liability could exceed 15 M baht, factoring in bridge demolition, reconstruction, and compensation to the victim’s family. Provincial governor Suphamit Chinnasri has ordered a fast-track inquiry, promising that “no official or contractor who cut corners will be spared scrutiny.”

Part of a troubling trend in 2025

Although bridge collapses remain rare, 2025 has proved unusually grim. In March, a concrete girder on Rama 2 gave way during an expressway expansion, killing 5 workers. August saw a near-miss in Chanthaburi when two 100-t tee-beams toppled during installation. Analysts point to three recurring factors: heavy-vehicle strikes, construction-phase errors, and inadequate lateral bracing. The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation now urges provincial offices to audit every bridge with clearance below 5.8 m by mid-2026.

What happens next on Bang Na-Trat Road

For motorists, the immediate headache is rerouting: until engineers finish a structural assessment, authorities will keep the leftmost inbound lane closed. A temporary **shuttle van stop will be set up for factory staff who used the bridge daily. The Highways Department says it must decide whether to rebuild from scratch or retrofit with steel collision barriers. Either way, officials estimate a three-month timeline before the crossing reopens. In the interim, drivers are advised to stay under the 60 km/h limit and give wide berth to any truck displaying a raised mechanism—a small precaution that, as yesterday proved, can mean the difference between routine congestion and catastrophe.