Thailand: The accident involving a sports utility vehicle (SUV) at Kilometre 52 of Jalan Kuala Jeneris-Sungai Gawi-Aring (Bukit Kawah) last Friday is believed to have been caused by negligence, according to police. Hulu Terengganu district police chief Supt Sharudin Abd Wahab said investigations showed that no brake marks were found at the scene.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Supt Sharudin stated that the SUV was believed to have entered a stretch of road that had been cut off before plunging into a 61-metre-deep ravine. He noted that the vehicle was not travelling at high speed, based on the debris found. He explained that usually, a vehicle driven at high speed would skid before going over, but in this case, the debris indicated that the vehicle continued straight into the ravine.

Sharudin emphasized that the accident was likely due to negligence, with the driver not paying full attention while driving. The operation to retrieve the vehicle from the ravine took almost four hours due to heavy rain. The vehicle was subsequently taken to the Hulu Terengganu District Police Headquarters for further investigation and action.

An inspection of the vehicle revealed a dashcam bracket, though the camera itself was missing, believed to have been dislodged during the incident. Sharudin mentioned that police would monitor the site and take legal action against anyone removing the warning or safety signs installed there. Authorities had placed several warning signs and concrete barriers at the site, but these had been removed by irresponsible parties.

The incident, which occurred around 5.30 pm, resulted in the tragic death of a couple who were soon to be married, after the SUV they were in plunged into a ravine. The accident is believed to have occurred when the vehicle, travelling from Hulu Terengganu towards Gua Musang, entered a road that had been closed due to a landslide.