11-Year-Old Driver Crashes Pickup Into Thai Monks, Killing Eight

An 11-year-old boy commandeered his parents' pickup truck and lost control, striking a procession of 35 Buddhist monks walking a pilgrimage route in Mukdahan province, northeastern Thailand. The crash killed eight monks—five at the scene and three later in hospital—and injured fourteen, four of whom remain in critical condition. The monks were on a 260-kilometer walk toward Ubon Ratchathani when the vehicle swerved onto the roadside and collided with the line of walkers, according to eyewitnesses and security-camera footage released by a local rescue group.

Police said the child is in custody and will be questioned by child-protection officials. The vehicle has been seized for forensic analysis, and the boy's parents have been summoned for questioning to determine legal responsibility. Police Major General Pairoj Thaiphutsa said investigators are still assessing the cause of the accident.

"I saw a boy driving a pickup truck, approaching. At that moment I was chanting 'Buddho, Buddho'," monk Phra Sompong said in a video posted by rescue workers.

"Then suddenly the truck hit at full speed and crashed us like this," he added, describing how some monks were thrown into the air while the first nine in line escaped injury.

Mukdahan Governor Worayan Boonnarat called the tragedy a reminder of the need for stricter road safety measures, emphasizing that parents share responsibility for preventing such incidents. Thailand, which has a high rate of traffic fatalities, has been tightening road-safety enforcement in recent years.