Three monks were killed and two others injured along with a lay follower and a driver when their van crashed against roadside trees in Prachuap Khiri Khan’s Thap Sakae district on Tuesday morning, police say.
The Thap Sakae police station was alerted of the accident on the southbound Phetkasem road in front of Huay Yang Witthaya School in Tambon Huay Yang at 8.20am.
The impact of the crash hurled some of the monks out the van, killing them.
The deceased monks were identified as Phra Anek Uamnoi, Phra Samphan Homkasem, and Phra Khanin Kantharawattana.
Injured were Phrakru Piyathammalangkarn and Phra Wanlop Jampatho, along with a lay helper, identified only as Isara. They were rushed to Thap Sakae Hospital.
The injured van driver, Apirak Maolanon, 65, said the group was on a pilgrimage tour from a temple in Phitsanulok to Wat Mahathat Woramahawihan in Nakhon Si Thammarat.
The driver said he dozed off behind the wheel, causing the van to veer into the roadside.
