PRACHIN BURI - A driver was killed when a trailer truck carrying compressed rubber blocks crashed and burst into flames while descending the notorious downhill stretch of Highway 304 in Na Di district in the early hours of Saturday.
Brake failure was believed to have caused the truck to overturn at kilometre marker 209 before catching fire, blocking all Bangkok-bound lanes throughout the morning, according to Wang Khon Daeng police.
Police, emergency responders, firefighters and highway officials rushed to the scene shortly after half past midnight.
The accident occurred on the hilly stretch of road between the Unesco-listed Khao Yai and Thap Lan national parks, an area known for its steep curves.
The trailer truck, bearing Bangkok licence plates, was found lying on its side against the concrete median barrier, engulfed in flames that sent thick black smoke into the sky.
Firefighters spent more than an hour bringing the blaze under control.
After the fire was extinguished, rescuers found one body trapped inside the cab. The victim had been severely burned, making it impossible to immediately determine the person’s identity or gender.
Rescue workers used hydraulic cutting equipment to remove the body, which was sent to Na Di Hospital for forensic identification.
The crash disrupted traffic, causing congestion that stretched for several kilometres.
Highway police and maintenance crews worked to clear the wreckage and remove spilled oil from the road. One lane had been reopened by morning.
Police investigators said the truck was travelling from Nakhon Ratchasima toward Kabin Buri when it lost braking power on the steep final curve before the downhill section, causing the driver to lose control.
The truck was carrying compressed natural rubber blocks, which are highly combustible, causing the fire to spread rapidly and trapping the driver inside the cab.
The downhill section of Highway 304 between kilometre markers 208 and 210 in Na Di has long been regarded as one of Thailand’s most dangerous roads.
The stretch features a prolonged 4–6% gradient and sharp curves. Heavy vehicles unfamiliar with the route have frequently suffered brake failure there.
Among the major fatal crashes on the stretch was one on Feb 26, 2025, when a study-tour bus from Bueng Kan plunged off the road after its brakes failed, killing 19 people and injuring 30 others.
In February 2014, 15 people were killed and 45 injured when a tour bus carrying schoolgirls and their teachers rammed into the back of a loaded 18-wheel truck.
