At about 8:00pm on the evening of August 18, a routine drive along the Udon Thani–Sakon Nakhon Road turned into something out of an action movie — except it had a surprisingly lucky ending. A white Isuzu pickup, registration ป 5179 Udon Thani, flipped over several times in Mueang Nong Han district, leaving a trail of twisted metal, a badly damaged traffic sign and a felled tree. Miraculously, the driver walked away with only a minor head wound.
The man, the tiles and the talisman
The injured motorist was identified as 32‑year‑old former traffic officer Phong Sakon, better known to friends as “Oung.” Locals who rushed to help pulled him from the wreck and took him to Udon Thani Centre Hospital, where medics treated a small head injury and released him after observation. Phong, smiling amid the chaos, gave reporters an explanation that mixed practicality with devotion: he had been hauling tiles from Udon Thani city to his garden in Mueang Nong Han to build a chicken coop and a fish pond when the pickup lost control.
Clutching an amulet he says he has worn for two years — and an ivory necklace he and friends believe protected him — Phong raised the charm and expressed gratitude for what he called a narrow escape. “I don’t know what happened exactly,” he told reporters, “but I believe this amulet saved my life.”
What likely happened on the road
According to a friend traveling nearby, the truck may have either lost control or swerved to avoid an obstacle. The vehicle then skidded for nearly 150 metres before slamming into a large roadside tree and a traffic sign. The impact left the sign and tree badly damaged and the pickup in a wrecked state, its cab and bed showing the mark of multiple rolls. Police and local emergency services responded to the crash scene after calls came in at 8pm and worked with residents who had already assisted the driver.
Investigators at the scene documented the scene and the vehicle — the registration plate ป 5179 Udon Thani remains part of the official report — and took statements from witnesses. While mechanical failure can’t be ruled out, eyewitness accounts point toward loss of control on a poorly lit stretch of road as a likely contributing factor.
Street lighting — a glaring concern
Residents in the area were quick to point out that while much of the Udon Thani–Sakon Nakhon route is well lit, this particular segment of road is not. Several locals told reporters the darkness makes it easy to miss hazards or misjudge curves, and they urged the Nong Han Highway Department 2 to consider installing additional lights to prevent similar accidents.
“Most nights you can’t see much here,” one neighbour said. “When drivers come down this stretch, it becomes dangerous. We don’t want another incident like tonight.”
A lucky escape, a reminder for safer roads
Phong’s friends insisted the amulet and necklace played a part in his survival, a common sentiment in many Thai communities where spiritual protection is held in high regard. Whether the charm truly altered the physical odds or not, the outcome is clear: a man who should have suffered much worse walked away with a minor injury and a story to tell.
The crash underscores several practical takeaways: secure your load, check your vehicle, and be especially cautious on dark stretches of road. For local authorities, it highlights a public safety gap that residents want addressed — better lighting and clearer signage could make the difference between a close call and a tragedy.
Aftermath
Police continue to collect evidence and will likely inspect the pickup for any mechanical issues. Meanwhile, community members are calling for action from the Nong Han Highway Department 2 to improve lighting on this stretch of the Udon Thani–Sakon Nakhon Road to protect drivers at night.
As for Phong, he’s already planning to finish the chicken coop and fish pond he was delivering tiles for — this time, perhaps, with an extra grip on the wheel and his amulet safely tucked away.
Photo credit: KhaoSod. Reported from Mueang Nong Han, Udon Thani.
Lucky survivors make for great stories, but we can’t let luck be our only safety plan. Wearing an amulet might comfort him, but proper lighting and load security are what actually prevent rollovers.
Why do people always poo-poo beliefs? If he feels saved, who are you to take that away? Superstition helps a lot of folks cope with trauma.
I agree with Nina — my grandma swore by charms and she lived to 98, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t fix the road too.
I hear you, Nina, and I don’t want to belittle faith; I just want to see practical fixes backed by budgets and timelines so this stretch isn’t so dangerous.
This is exactly what happens when local authorities ignore lighting reports for years. It’s negligence when a dangerous stretch remains dark despite complaints.
Calling it negligence is harsh without seeing their budget, but I’ve driven that road and it’s sketchy at night; lights would help, sure.
Budget or not, public safety should be prioritized. The highway department needs to answer why this gap persists.
Lights alone won’t fix everything — reflective signage, guard rails, and maintenance matter too. People assume one solution will solve it all.
As someone who follows municipal meetings, these requests have been filed before but get redirected. There’s red tape more than money in many cases.
I was there that night helping out, and people were relieved because Phong was conscious and smiling. For us an amulet isn’t crazy — it’s tradition and comfort.
Traditions matter, but what about seat belts and securing tiles? I saw them strewn everywhere; that load must have shifted during a turn.
Somsak, you’re right about the load — the tiles were loose. We should focus on both safety practices and respecting beliefs.
Relieved he’s okay, but worried others won’t be so lucky. Community pressure can get lights installed faster than waiting on officials.
Anna’s right, if residents organize petitions and photos of the dark stretch, it forces accountability.
From a human factors perspective, this incident likely involved a combination of low visibility, possible overcorrection, and unsecured cargo altering center of gravity. Anecdotal attribution to talismans is socioculturally meaningful but irrelevant to engineering solutions.
Is that like when my toy car flips? If you put too many blocks on one side it tips!
Exactly, KidSam — the same physics apply: shifting mass can create a torque that causes rollovers, especially at speed or during evasive maneuvers.
Agree with Dr. A. K. — design of cargo restraint systems and road lighting standards should be reviewed for that corridor.
Wow, he flipped like a stunt man and lived! Amulets are cool, and I’m glad he is okay, but people should still wear seat belts.
Seat belts save lives, teach your friends, KidSam. Prayer helps, but belts and safe loads are practical protection.
I will tell them! My dad always says ‘belt on, worry gone.’
Looks overloaded to me; tiles are heavy and shifting cargo is a recipe for disaster. Don’t cheap out on proper tie-downs.
As a former traffic cop, I see this all the time: unsecured loads and dark roads combine into poor outcomes. Charges rarely stick but fines and awareness campaigns help.
Also, seat belt usage and post-crash response from locals probably prevented worse injuries — quick bystanders matter a lot.
In our village most of us carry amulets and believe in their protection, but that doesn’t mean we oppose better roads. Faith and infrastructure can coexist.
Belief is fine, but let’s not let it excuse infrastructural neglect. Saying an amulet saved him can distract from the preventable causes.
Skeptic2025, the story can hold both truths: he felt protected and the road is hazardous. We need both cultural empathy and civic action.
Technically the report suggests 150 meters of skid marks — that distance points to loss of control at moderate speed rather than a single obstacle. Road lighting and skid-resistant surfacing would reduce risk.
Engineers always say ‘surface treatments’ and ‘lighting’ but when will taxpayers see action? Promises don’t patch potholes.
If authorities publish a maintenance schedule and budget, people might trust the process more.
A published schedule would help. I can assist with a layman-friendly summary of what’s needed if the community pushes for it.
Amulets are woven into daily life here — calling them superstition ignores cultural significance and community resilience.
Cultural respect aside, reporting that ‘amulet saved him’ without caveats promotes magical thinking and may reduce pressure to fix real hazards.
Skeptic, saying both things isn’t contradictory. We can respect beliefs and still demand safer roads; it’s not an either/or situation.