Four tourists were lucky to survive a downhill car crash on Phu Thap Boek mountain in Lom Kao district on Sunday, saved by a concrete guardrail from plummeting into the valley below.
The crash occurred on Highway 2331 (Joh Who-Phu Hin Rong Kla) in tambon Ban Noen about 11.50am on Sunday.
Their damaged compact sedan came to a stop atop a concrete guardrail, all that prevented them falling into the valley below the road. The crash occurred at Curve S1 as they made a left turn, one of 111 curves on the winding 18-kilometre-long route to Phu Thap Boek.
Reports said there were four tourists in the car. They were from Lop Buri province and were heading home after visiting Phu Thap Boek. The car’s brakes reportedly malfunctioned on the steep hill road. Two of the occupants received minor injuries.
The notorious S1 curve is the final bend on the descent from Phu Thap Boek. The mountain road features steep gradients and a series of sharp turns and officials regularly warn motorists to use extra caution as prolonged braking on downhill stretches can cause brakes to overheat and fail.
Sunday’s accident follows a crash at the same spot on July 26. A tour van also supposedly suffered a brake malfunction while descending the mountain and collided with a passenger car and an oncoming pickup truck at the S1 curve, injuring six people.