Police were called to the scene, in front of Kee Hin outlet, at 1:50am.
At the scene, officers found a 22-wheeled trailer truck bearing Chumphon plates parked on the roadside.
The driver,Somporn Thapthim, 52, told police he had parked the truck around 11pm to rest while waiting for the company to open in the morning.
Behind the trailer, a Honda City sedan with Phuket plates had crashed into the rear of the truck. The front of the sedan was completely destroyed, its engine bay crushed beneath the trailer.
Inside the vehicle, police found the body of the driver, Preecha Boonlum, 55, a resident of Kathu. He had sustained fatal injuries to his head and face. His body was later removed from the wreckage and transported to Vachira Phuket Hospital.
Police noted that the sedan’s speedometer was stuck at 180km/h, suggesting that the vehicle may have been traveling at that speed when it collided with the stationary truck.
An eyewitness, Khacharsak Rakthong, 31, said he was driving a pickup truck behind the sedan when the incident occurred.
“I saw him come out of an alley near the Hino company and drive ahead of me. When we got to the scene, I suddenly heard a loud crash. He didn’t seem to swerve or try to avoid anything,” Mr Khacharsak told police.
The truck driver, Mr Somporn, said he was asleep in the cabin when he heard the impact.
Police said they were continuing to investigate the cause of the crash, but fatigue or driver inattention are suspected as possible factors.
Mr Preecha’s family has been contacted, police said.