A 70-year-old man has died and two others were injured after a car collided with a wild elephant on Highway 323 in Kanchanaburi province, in what officials say is the first recorded incident of its kind on the route.
The crash occurred at around 9pm on Tuesday on the inbound stretch of Highway 323 towards Muang district in Wang Dong subdistrict. Police from the Lat Ya station were alerted by the local radio centre to reports of a serious collision between a sedan and a wild elephant, resulting in casualties.
Emergency responders, including doctors from Paholpolpayuhasena Hospital, forensic officers, wildlife officers from the Salak Pha sanctuary and rescue volunteers attended the scene.
Despite the presence of street lighting, the area was described as poorly lit. Officers found a bronze Toyota Corolla severely damaged by the roadside. The front of the vehicle had been crushed, and flames had engulfed the engine compartment before spreading to much of the car. Firefighters managed to extinguish the blaze prior to the arrival of investigators.
A 70-year-old male passenger seated in the front left seat was pronounced dead at the scene. His body was transferred to Paholpolpayuhasena Hospital for post-mortem examination.
The driver, aged 64, and a 74-year-old rear-seat passenger were injured and taken to hospital for treatment. All three men were residents of Muang district in Kanchanaburi. The vehicle was taken to the Lat Ya police station for further inspection.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the driver had been travelling from Sai Yok district towards Muang district when the vehicle struck a wild elephant that had emerged from the Salak Phra Wildlife Sanctuary.
Officials believe the elephant, along with an unknown number of others, had crossed the Khwae Yai River in search of food before attempting to cross the highway at the point of impact. The extent of any injuries to the animal remains unknown.
Authorities noted that while vehicle collisions with wild elephants have previously occurred on Highway 3199, the Kanchanaburi–Si Sawat route, this marks the first such incident ever recorded on Highway 323. Investigations are ongoing.
