Drug-Tested Train Driver Charged After Fatal Bangkok Crossing Crash

Bangkok- Thai police on Monday charged the driver of a freight train involved in a deadly collision with a public bus in Bangkok after authorities said an initial drug test returned positive results following the crash that killed eight people and injured dozens.

The freight train struck the bus at a congested railway crossing in the Thai capital on Saturday afternoon, igniting the vehicle and leaving 30 people injured, according to emergency authorities. Police later revised down an earlier injury toll of 35.

Local police chief Urumporn Koondejsumrit said the train driver, who was also injured in the collision, and a railway-crossing guard had both been charged with negligence causing injury and death. The two denied the allegations, he said.

Urumporn said a preliminary urine test detected illicit substances in the driver’s system, although authorities did not specify the drugs involved. Additional testing would also be conducted on another driver and a technician aboard the train, he added.

The collision has intensified scrutiny over railway safety and traffic management at level crossings in Thailand, where congestion and infrastructure bottlenecks remain persistent concerns in urban areas.

Video footage circulated on social media appeared to show the train approaching the crossing at moderate speed before crashing into the bus, which was stranded on the tracks amid heavy traffic.

Bangkok police commissioner Siam Boonsom said investigators were examining surveillance footage and operational procedures at the crossing to determine whether railway staff acted negligently.

“We see the official holding the red flag which means the track was not safe but we also see that the train did not stop or slow down, causing the crash,” Siam told reporters on Sunday.

He said authorities had reviewed footage from previous days showing vehicles halted on the tracks while crossing officials used red flags to warn approaching trains to stop until traffic cleared.

Investigators are also examining the train’s speed and braking distance at the time of impact, Siam said.
Emergency services said 17 injured passengers remained hospitalized as of Sunday evening.