Five Dead, Another Seriously Injured in Takeo Truck Crash

Five people were killed in Takeo province on Thursday when a truck transporting cement bags slammed into another truck hauling energy drinks, police said on Thursday.

The accident occurred on National Road 2 in Takeo’s Samraong district at about 5:30 a.m. when the cement truck’s teenage driver recklessly attempted to overtake a car at high speed and crashed head-on into the other truck, which was loaded with Carabao energy drinks, said district police chief Moeung Sarun.

Mr. Sarun said five people were killed instantly, including both drivers. He identified the driver of the cement truck as Tim Sokveng, 19, from Takeo province. Song Aun, 35, had been driving the Carabao truck and was killed along with three of his passengers: Heng Phalla, 33; Thea, 32; and Huot, 30, all from Kompong Cham province.

A fourth passenger, Sy Navun, 30, was seriously injured and rushed to a hospital in Phnom Penh, the police chief said.

“We handed over the bodies to the families for cremation after the incident this morning, and the trucks were brought to the provincial police headquarters,” he said.

Mr. Sarun said both trucks were privately owned, but not by the companies whose products they were transporting.

When a reporter called the telephone number displayed on the cab of the cement truck, the man who answered claimed to be the father of Tim Sokveng, Tim Sokvin.

Mr. Sokvin said his son had been a driver for a company owned by Prime Minister Hun Sen’s nephew, Hun Chea.

“My son drove for the H.C. company, and Oknha Hun Chea owns this company,” he said, adding he had received his son’s body and was busy with funeral arrangements.

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