11-Year-Old Boy Allegedly Drives Pickup Truck Into Monks On Pilgrimage In Thailand, Kills 9

An 11-year-old boy drove a pickup truck into traveling monks Thursday in northeastern Thailand, killing nine and injuring 13 others, officials said.

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The group of 35 Buddhist monks came from Mukdahan province, an area approximately 372 miles northeast of the capital city Bangkok, according to the Associated Press (AP). They were roughly 30 minutes into a 161-mile pilgrimage to Ubon Ratchathani, a Thai city renowned for its Buddhist temples, when the boy allegedly crashed into them.

Five monks were killed at the scene and four others later died in the hospital, officials said. Thirteen were transported to the hospital, and three had been critically wounded, the provincial administration said. (RELATED: NASA Scientist From Alabama Went Missing, Died In Fiery 2025 Car Crash)

The Ruam Jai Mukdahan Rescue Association released footage of the incident, according to the AP. Video circulating online appears to show the monks walking in single file alongside the road when a truck crashes into them. Police alleged the monks told them they saw the truck swerve before it slid off the road, though police continue to investigate the incident, according to CBS News.

Other footage appears to zero in on the truck’s decimated hood before focusing on a monk in a saffron-colored robe being carried to an ambulance as others wander around the wreckage.

One monk, identified as Phra Sompong, alleged that he was chanting the meditation mantra “Buddho, Buddho” when he saw the truck approaching, according to a video posted by local rescue personnel cited by CBS News.

“Then suddenly the truck hit at full speed and crashed us like this,” he said, gesturing as he spoke. “Luckily another monk and I managed to jump out of the way in time.”

“The first nine monks in line survived. But others who were hit were thrown into the air,” he alleged.

Prayut Ruanthongkam, chief of Mukdahan City Police, confirmed to AFP that the suspect was an 11-year-old boy, according to CBS. Police said authorities apprehended him and were waiting for state child protection officers arrive to begin questioning, the AP reported.

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“The suspect is a child. The vehicle has been taken for forensic examination to determine the cause,” Police Major General Pairoj Thaiphutsa, commander of the Mukdahan Provincial Police, said, according to BBC News.

Thaiputsa later added that the child’s guardians and doctor were caring for him alongside officials. The chief said initial information suggests that the boy has special needs.

Police alleged that the child used his parents’ truck without authorization and lost control of the vehicle before he crashed, CBS News reported. Preliminary information indicated he was home alone prior to the incident, having stayed home from school because he was not feeling well, according to police. The boy’s guardians notified police after they realized the vehicle was allegedly missing.

Mukdahan provincial governor Worayan Bunnarat emphasized that the case should act as a lesson on road safety, according to CBS News.

“We’ve been very strict on road safety in recent years. This case should be a lesson not just for our province, but for the public in general when it comes to preventing road accidents,” Bunnarat said.

“I think everyone involved, especially parents, needs to help, because no one wants something like this to happen.”

Road safety continues to be of “critical concern” in Thailand even though improvements have been made, according to the Asian Transport Observatory. The country’s road fatality rate continues to be “significantly higher” than averages for the region with an estimate of 18,000 fatalities on the road in 2021, the organization said.

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