A heavily intoxicated man sparked a dramatic late-night rescue operation after driving his car onto active railway tracks in Chonburi province, claiming he was simply “following a motorcycle” he saw turn off the road.
The incident occurred at approximately 00:30 on Monday morning, December 8th, in the Nongprue sub-district.
Rescue workers from the Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan Foundation in Pattaya received an emergency call reporting a vehicle stuck on the railway line near Nong Prue. Teams rushed to the scene, fearing an imminent collision with a train.
Upon arrival, rescuers were stunned to find a white Toyota Innova MPV precariously balanced and slowly moving along the tracks. Volunteers and local residents quickly blocked the vehicle and waved the driver to stop.
The driver, visibly drunk and unsteady, was unable to manoeuvre the car any further. With no train approaching at that moment, rescue workers and good Samaritans worked together in a strenuous effort to push and lift the vehicle off the rails. After considerable difficulty, they successfully moved the car to a safe area beside the tracks.
A dead cat, apparently run over by the vehicle, was also found nearby.
When questioned, the driver told rescuers he was on his way home when he saw a motorcycle rider turn onto what he thought was a passable road. Without realising, he followed it straight onto the railway embankment, causing his car to climb and become stuck across both rails.
As of early Monday morning, the vehicle had been moved clear of the tracks but remained stranded on the elevated railway embankment. Rescue teams said a tow truck would be required later in the morning to lift the car back down to road level.
No injuries were reported, and authorities are expected to file charges against the driver for drink-driving and endangering public safety.
