A devastating crash in Thailand was captured on video Thursday, showing the moment an 11-year-old boy driving his father’s pickup truck struck a group of monks on a pilgrimage, killing eight of them.
Security footage from Mukdahan shows roughly 35 monks walking in single file along a quiet roadway, with only a motorcycle passing by shortly before the incident.
Moments later, a pickup truck careened out of control and plowed into the procession, throwing several of the Buddhist monks onto the vehicle and into the air.
Monks who survived the impact ran toward the crash scene. Five monks were pronounced dead at the site, while three others later died at a local hospital, Mukdahan Governor Worrayan Boonnarat said.
Additional footage from the scene showed bodies in monks’ robes lying across the roadway near the badly damaged pickup, which had a crushed front end, a crumpled hood and a shattered windshield.
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The Thursday morning collision also sent 14 people to the hospital, including four who were listed in critical condition.
The group had begun a 161-mile pilgrimage to Ubon Ratchathani about half an hour before the fatal crash occurred.
Monks told investigators they noticed the truck swerving before it left the roadway and struck them.
The boy has since been taken into custody, where he will be questioned by child protection officers.
The cause of the incident is still under investigation.
With Post wires.
