A forestry worker in Thailand escaped with minor injuries after his truck collided with a wild elephant on a mountain road. The incident occurred on Sunday evening in Nakhon Ratchasima Province, northeast of Bangkok.
Dash-cam footage captured the moment the elephant stepped out in front of the vehicle. The driver, Utai Bitdtakreu, 32, was travelling with his wife and daughter when the animal appeared suddenly. Despite braking, the Isuzu pick-up truck ploughed into the creature.
Incredibly, the elephant survived, and Mr Bitdtakreu and his family crawled out of the wreckage unhurt. The driver expressed relief that the elephant was alive, saying: 'We were a little bit shaken up by the accident but our first thoughts were for the elephant.'
Rescue workers searched for the injured elephant but could not find it initially. The following morning, Mr Bitdtakreu returned and spotted three elephants crossing the road, one with an injured hind left leg, which he believed was the one he hit.
National Park boss Kanchit Sareenpuanron confirmed that staff had been sent to locate the elephant and provide treatment for its leg. The Khao Yai National Park, spanning 1,250 square miles, is home to thousands of wild elephants, and such collisions are not uncommon.
