A YouTuber was fatally struck by a train while filming content on a bridge in Thailand on Wednesday.
Wirot Arayankeht, 53, known for promoting cycling through his channel “Pai Nai Pai Kun Nam Mun Mai Tong Sai”, which means “Go Anywhere Without Petrol”, was filming near the Chulalongkorn bridge in Ratchaburi when the train struck him.
His body was reportedly crushed and mutilated.
The train driver reportedly honked as a warning to the content creator, but could not stop in time. His body was dragged several metres and his vlogging equipment was later found scattered at the scene.
Phusanika Chantharat, an inspector at the Ratchaburi Muang police station, said the accident occurred at around 8.20am on the bridge over the Mae Klong river in the Muang district.
Wirot shared videos promoting cycling on Facebook and YouTube. His Facebook page boasts 2,700 followers, while his YouTube channel has 140 subscribers.
CCTV footage of the accident shows Wirot placing his cycle on the tracks at 7.39am local time. His wife said they had dropped their daughter off at school that morning. Her husband mentioned he planned to film a video for social media before returning home, The Bangkok Post reported.
Police found a video on Wirote’s phone showing him speaking to the camera near the railway tracks.
The train driver told police he saw Wirote sitting on the tracks and filming his video. The driver said he sounded the horn as a warning, but Wirote couldn’t move out of the way in time and the driver was unable to stop the train quickly enough. The train struck Wirote and dragged his body for 50 metres, The Nation Thailand reported.
The driver said he exited the train and found Wirote crushed to death. He promptly called his supervisor and the local police.
Condolences started pouring in on his Facebook page as soon as the news of Wirote’s death was made public. “I would like to express my condolences, brother,” one user said.
