Capt Suporn Muangkai of the Thalang Police was informed of the first accident, on Thepkrasattri Rd on the curve near the Tha Reau Shrine, south of the Heroines Monument, in Koh Kaew, at 4:30am.
Police arrived at the scene to find a black Toyota sedan with heavy damage to its front.
The driver, 42-year-old Lt Kietsak Chaichana of the Royal Thai Army, suffered an injury to his right leg, but was otherwise unaffected by the impact, Capt Suporn said.
“Rescue workers took him to Thalang Hospital for treatment,” he added,
“Lt Kietsak was driving from Phuket Town to Krabi province when he lost control of the vehicle and hit a power pole beside the road,” Capt Suporn explained.
“Police have not charged him yet, but we have impounded his car as evidence,” he added.
By 4:50am, Capt Udom Phetratrong of the Phuket City Police had received call informing him of an accident on the bypass road northbound involving two pickup trucks, one of them laden with fresh fruit.
Police and rescue workers arrived to find blue Toyota pickup car askew off to the side of the road, Capt Udom said.
The blue pickup had sustained heavy damage to its rear, inflicted by a black Nissan pickup truck that was still in the middle of the left lane with very heavy damage to its front.
“The driver of the blue pickup truck Supakorn Chaipeng, 54, explained that he was driving along when the bonnet unexpectedly released,” Capt Udom said.
“The bonnet opened fully, blocking his view, and so he was slowing down and moving to the side of the road to stop when he was struck from bheind by the black pickup,” he added.
“The fruit was spread out all over the place, but there were no injuries from the accident,” he said.
“Both pickup trucks have been taken to Phuket City Police Station while we finish our investigation into the accident,” he added.