Fatal crash on a slippery Kalasin road. Two electric cars collide, killing Roi Et loan company owner Chaiwat Serirat, 58. Rescuers cut open his mangled BYD. Two women survive in hospital. Police have no eyewitnesses and check both dashcam recordings.
A wealthy Roi Et businessman died trapped behind the wheel of his crushed BYD after two electric cars collided head-on in heavy rain in Kalasin on Tuesday. Chaiwat Serirat, 58, was travelling to sign loan documents when the fatal crash occurred near Rong Pla Deid Bridge. Meanwhile, two women in the other vehicle, a GWM electric saloon, were injured and rushed to hospital. Rescue workers used hydraulic cutters to recover his body as wreckage lay scattered across the slippery road. However, police have no eyewitness account of the collision. Investigators are examining dashcam footage and forensic evidence to establish responsibility. No charges have been announced as investigators gather evidence.
A wealthy Roi Et businessman was killed when two electric vehicles collided head-on during heavy rain in Kalasin on Tuesday, November 3. The 58-year-old finance company owner died trapped behind the wheel of his wrecked BYD.
Meanwhile, two women travelling in the other electric car were injured and rushed to hospital. Rescue workers used hydraulic cutters to recover the dead man’s body from the crushed vehicle. Both cars suffered extensive damage, with wreckage scattered across the slippery road. Police are examining dashcam footage and forensic evidence. However, investigators have yet to establish what caused the fatal collision.
The crash occurred at approximately 2.40 pm on the road connecting Mueang Kalasin and Kamalasai districts. The scene was near Rong Pla Deid Bridge, close to Ban Dong Sawang village in Huai Pho subdistrict.
Two Roi Et electric cars collide in heavy rain as businessman dies on his way to a loan signing
Both vehicles were registered in neighbouring Roi Et province. One was a BYD electric car, while the other was a GWM electric saloon. The impact crushed their front sections and scattered debris across the rain-soaked carriageway.
Police identified the dead businessman as Chaiwat Serirat, 58, from Mueang Nuea subdistrict in Roi Et province. He owned Thap OK Pico Limited Partnership, a consumer lending business. According to company employees, Chaiwat had left Roi Et earlier that day.
He was travelling to Kalasin town to sign loan documents for a customer. Instead, his journey ended in a fatal collision before he reached the meeting.
Police Lieutenant Pimchanok Phromthasarn, Deputy Investigator at Mueang Kalasin Police Station, received the emergency report at approximately 2.40 pm. In response, she coordinated an operation involving local rescue organisations and hospital personnel.
Workers from Huai Pho Subdistrict Municipality and the Sawang Kalasin Rescue Unit were dispatched. A medical team from Kalasin Hospital also attended the scene.
Emergency personnel arrived to find both electric cars severely damaged. Heavy rain was falling, while the road surface was exceptionally slippery. Furthermore, wreckage from the collision lay scattered across the carriageway.
The extensive damage complicated efforts to reach the occupants. Rescue workers immediately began assessing the vehicles and identifying those requiring assistance.
Hydraulic cutters used to recover dead businessman as two women are rushed to Kalasin Hospital
The BYD electric car carried Roi Et registration KM 8323. Its driver, Chaiwat, remained trapped inside the crushed driver’s compartment. Rescuers deployed hydraulic cutting equipment to gain access.
However, the businessman had already suffered fatal injuries. Emergency workers cut and forced apart sections of the wreckage before recovering his body. He was confirmed dead at the scene.
Meanwhile, rescuers attended to the second electric vehicle, a GWM saloon bearing Roi Et registration number 882. Two women were found injured inside the car. Medical personnel provided emergency assistance before arranging their transfer to Kalasin Hospital.
Both women were admitted for treatment. Nevertheless, initial reports indicated that their conditions were stable.
Their identities had not been officially confirmed by Tuesday evening. Police were still verifying their personal details and their roles in the accident. Notably, investigators had not established which woman was driving the GWM.
The available reports identified both as occupants. Their precise injuries were also undisclosed, although both remained under medical care.
Investigators intend to interview the women once their conditions permit. Their statements could establish the movements of both vehicles immediately before impact. However, the inquiry currently lacks a clear eyewitness account.
Police lack eyewitnesses as heavy rain complicates inquiry into deadly collision between electric cars
Local residents reportedly heard a loud crash, but nobody described seeing the collision itself. Consequently, police have been unable to reconstruct the sequence of events.
Officers have not established which vehicle entered the opposing lane, if either did so. Equally, they have not determined whether one driver lost control. Heavy rain was falling when the collision occurred, leaving the road slippery. Nevertheless, investigators have not concluded that the weather caused the crash. The precise circumstances remain subject to forensic examination.
There has been no official finding of excessive speed. Similarly, police have not established reckless driving or mechanical failure. Although both vehicles were electric, investigators have identified no evidence implicating their propulsion systems or batteries.
The available reports contain no indication of a battery fire or electrical malfunction. Instead, officers are concentrating on the movements of both vehicles before impact.
A forensic examination of the crash scene is being arranged. Investigators will assess vehicle damage, debris and other physical evidence. In parallel, officers intend to examine dashboard camera recordings from both electric cars.
Police hope the footage will establish what happened immediately before the collision. However, authorities have not confirmed whether usable recordings have already been recovered.
Dashcam footage and injured women’s statements central to police inquiry into fatal Kalasin crash
The dashcam evidence could prove important because no direct eyewitness has been identified. Nevertheless, investigators must obtain and examine the recordings before drawing conclusions. The injured women’s accounts will also be assessed alongside the forensic findings. Together, these sources will form the basis of the police reconstruction.
Separately, investigators have established why Chaiwat was travelling through Kalasin.
Employees of Thap OK Pico Limited Partnership confirmed that he departed Roi Et on Tuesday. He intended to travel to Kalasin city to sign loan documents for a customer. The journey was connected with his consumer lending business. However, the collision occurred before he reached his destination.
Chaiwat owned the lending company, which provided consumer loans in the region. His employees confirmed the purpose of his journey and his intended destination. Those details establish his movements before the accident. However, they do not explain how the two electric vehicles collided.
The crash occurred just before Rong Pla Deid Bridge, near Ban Dong Sawang village. The road connects Mueang Kalasin with Kamalasai district. Both vehicles were travelling along this route when the collision occurred. Yet police have not confirmed their respective directions of travel. Nor have investigators established the precise point where the vehicles first came into contact.
Crushed vehicles and scattered debris provide vital evidence as police reconstruct fatal collision
The force of the impact caused extensive damage to both cars. Their front sections were crushed, while debris covered the road. In particular, the BYD’s damaged driver’s compartment prevented rescuers from immediately recovering Chaiwat.
Hydraulic cutting equipment was required to separate sections of the wreckage. Only after that operation could emergency personnel remove his body.
The rescue response involved several organisations working at the same scene. Huai Pho municipal personnel joined Sawang Kalasin rescue workers and hospital medics. At the same time, medical teams attended to the injured women in the GWM. Both were subsequently transported to Kalasin Hospital. Their conditions were reported as stable, although detailed medical assessments were not released.
The absence of direct eyewitness testimony has increased the importance of the physical evidence. Police have accounts from people who heard the collision. However, those statements do not establish how the accident happened. Investigators are therefore seeking evidence from the damaged vehicles and available camera recordings. The footage may clarify their positions immediately before impact.
No charges announced as police await forensic findings and prepare to release businessman’s body
No criminal charges have been announced. Furthermore, police have made no finding concerning responsibility for the collision. Any decision on prosecution will follow the forensic examination and assessment of the evidence. Investigators must establish whether either driver committed an offence before proceeding with legal action.
Meanwhile, arrangements are being made for the post-mortem examination of Chaiwat’s body. Authorities will release his remains to relatives following the necessary procedures. His family can then arrange religious funeral rites. The businessman lived in Mueang Nuea subdistrict, Mueang Roi Et district, and owned a consumer lending company.
Two Germans killed on Khao Lak died on a road that had already claimed foreign lives and seen carnage
Police confirm fatality and a homicide case after an EV car ploughed into a Chinese shrine on Thursday
By Tuesday evening, investigators had confirmed the dead man’s identity and both vehicles involved. They had also established the accident location, heavy rainfall and slippery road conditions. However, the cause of the collision remained undetermined. Police were still awaiting forensic findings, dashcam evidence and statements from the injured women.
Police Lieutenant Pimchanok Phromthasarn and her investigating team are continuing the inquiry. The collision left Chaiwat dead, two women hospitalised and both electric vehicles extensively damaged. For now, investigators have not established which driver, if any, was responsible. Any criminal proceedings will depend on the evidence gathered during the continuing investigation.
Join the Thai News forum, follow Thai Examiner on Facebook here
Follow Thai Examiner on Google here
Receive all our stories as they come out on Telegram here
Follow Thai Examiner here
Further reading:
Drunk driver mowed down a Thai woman and her German friend in Saturday’s early hours. Both died
Two German tourists killed at Phang-nga zebra crossing. Pickup driver tore into them on Friday night
Policeman jailed, sacked from the force over death of young doctor at a zebra crossing in Bangkok
Police charges against top cop’s Porsche driving son at the centre of fatal Bangkok car accident
Lopburi child killer is a primary school director who murdered 3 people this month just for kicks
