Driver dozes off: 18-wheeler chaos clogs Chon Buri highwayLegacyMotorists were left fuming in a bumper-to-bumper snarl yesterday morning after a colossal chemical truck toppled over, shutting down a busy stretch of Highway 36 in Chon Buri. The drama unfolded around 11am yesterday, July 4, near the entrance to Ban Khlong Yai Monastery in Pong subdistrict. An 18-wheeler Hino truck, white and lumbering under the weight of dozens of empty corrosive chemical containers, suddenly lost control and overturned, scattering its cargo like oversized building blocks across all lanes of the Rayong-bound carriageway. The resulting gridlock stretched an eye-watering 6-7 kilometres, as drivers sat stranded with nowhere to go. Police and rescue teams rushed to the scene to assess the situation. Fortunately, there were no hazardous leaks, as the containers were empty at the time of the crash. The truck driver, 43 year old Den Penpasuk, emerged from the wreckage shaken but alive. He suffered minor abrasions to his face and body and was treated at the roadside before giving a statement to investigators. In a candid admission, Den told officers he had been on his way to collect chemicals from a factory in Rayong when exhaustion got the better of him. “I briefly fell asleep,” he confessed. “I woke up when the truck was already overturning.” Police Lieutenant Colonel Prakasit Paladech of Huay Yai Police Station led the investigation, examining the scene thoroughly to confirm the circumstances. “Our initial findings suggest driver fatigue as the cause,” he said. “But we will conduct further enquiries to rule out any other contributing factors.” Authorities quickly called in a crane to lift the lorry and clear the road. Officers and workers laboured for hours to remove the tangled mess of containers and debris, finally restoring traffic flow by late afternoon, reported The Pattaya News. The incident served as a stark reminder of the dangers of drowsy driving, especially behind the wheel of a vehicle carrying potentially hazardous materials. Police urged all drivers transporting chemicals and industrial goods to take extra care and ensure they are properly rested before setting out on long journeys. The story Driver dozes off: 18-wheeler chaos clogs Chon Buri highway as seen on Thaiger News.