Capt Jarat Leampan of Wichit Police was notified about the incident at 4.30 pm and arrived at the scene shortly after.
The owner of the car, Mr Thongpha Leela, 48, from Chalong, told the police that at about 4 pm he drove to the school to take his kid back home. Mr Thongpha parked his vehicle next to a power pole on the side of the road and walked into the school building. The man had no idea that his pickup caught fire until it was announced through speakerphones.
Having heard the announcement, Mr Thongpha rushed outside and found the bonnet of his light blue Isuzu engulfed in flames and a team of firefighters from Wichit Municipality fighting hard to extinguish the blaze. By the time they finished the pickup's engine was completely destroyed by fire.
“We believe the fire was caused by a wire dangling from the pole. It could have created a spark and ignite the engine, which is now completely destroyed. We will proceed with our investigation, including checking CCTV records,” Capt Jarat said.
Mr Thongpha added that he noticed some wires while he was parking but thought nothing of it at the time.