Investigation of road traffic injuries and deaths in a crash between a van and a heavy truck in Wang Sombun District, Sa Kaeo Province, Thailand, August 2019

Abstract

Background: On 20 August 2019, the situation awareness team (SAT), Department of Disease Control was notified from the SAT of the Office of Disease Prevention and Control Region 6 Chon Buri, of a crash between a van and a heavy truck causing 11 deaths and 4 injured persons in Wang Sombun District, Sa Kaeo Province on 18 August 2019. The joint investigation team conducted an investigation during 21-23 August 2019 to verify road traffic injuries (RTIs) and deaths, determine epidemiological characteristics, identify the risk factors, and recommend preventive and control measures.
Methods: A descriptive study was carried out and included medical record review of the RTI cases and deaths from the hospitals, identify the driver, vehicle and environmental factors related to the crash, and interview the persons involved in the accident. Descriptive statistics including frequency, percentage, ratio, median and rank was used to present the results.
Results: A total of 15 injured persons had RTIs in this accident. Their ages were 19-55 years old and the male to female ratio was 1.14:1. Of these 12 deaths (11 at the accident site and one at the hospital), 11 deaths were the van passengers and the remaining one was the van driver. The injury most commonly found among the deaths was fracture of femurs and/or legs followed by head injury with intracranial haemorrhage and fracture of cervical spines. The van driver was a male 22 years of age and had public van driving license 2 months before the accident. He drove the van at night on the unfamiliar dark road, which was being under construction, for about 5 hours before the accident. The 60 km/hr speed limit sign posted on the road while the van speed was about 85 km/hr. The truck and driver were in good conditions. Delay in RTI rescue at the accident site was identified and due to leakage of gas from the van and the rescue equipment problems.
Conclusions: The van driver factor, road condition and night-time driving might be involved in this accident. Delay in RTI rescue at the accident site might affect the victims’ morbidity and mortality.