Eight members of the same family were killed in a car crash in Pursat province on Friday when the SUV they were riding in crashed head-on with an oncoming container truck, local officials said.
The Toyota Highlander was heading from Phnom Penh to Poipet City along National Road 5 when at about 5:30 p.m., the oncoming truck’s tire burst, causing it to swerve into the SUV’s path, said Thet Sovathy, deputy police chief of Ansar Chambak commune in Krakor district.
“The Toyota Highlander was crushed and the eight victims were trapped inside the car. Seven of the victims died at the scene and the other died at the provincial hospital a few hours later,” he said.
Mr. Sovathy said both vehicles were probably speeding.
“I think it [the accident] was because of the lack of inspection [of the truck] and because they were driving very fast, so the drivers could not avoid the accident,” he said.
He added that the victims were all from Kandal province and related, ranging in age from 10 to 60.
Provincial traffic police chief Ros Chamroeun said police were searching for the driver, who fled the scene.
Urn Leng, the chief of Anlong San village in Kandal, said three of his sons were among the victims of the crash and were heading to Poipet after attending a cousin’s wedding party. He said a funeral ceremony for the eight victims was held on Saturday at a local pagoda.
“I am disappointed and I have lost all feeling. It is like my arms and my legs have been cut off. I am so sad because I lost three of my sons,” Mr. Leng said.
