Filipino family travelling from Phuket crashes in Surat Thani, killing 3-year-old boy

A three-year-old Filipino boy was killed and three members of his family were injured when their Mitsubishi Pajero crashed into the wall of Wat Ta Khun in Surat Thani early on Wednesday morning.

The accident happened at about 6.30am on the Surat Thani-Takuapa road in tambon Khao Wong, Ban Ta Khun district, according to Ban Ta Khun police.

The family had travelled from Phuket and was heading towards Surat Thani. Police and rescue workers found the Phuket-registered vehicle badly damaged after it lost control on a bend, struck a decorative steel arch installed for the temple’s annual Sart Chin ceremony and knocked down a palm tree before hitting the temple wall.

The boy was found outside the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene. The three other occupants were injured and taken to Ban Ta Khun Hospital.

Police said a preliminary investigation indicated that the vehicle may have been travelling too fast for the bend and that the driver may not have been familiar with the route. The exact cause remained under investigation.