A COUPLE who had just bought a second-hand passenger car narrowly escaped being killed after the vehicle burst into flames minutes after they drove away from the dealer, Sanook.com reported today (21.5.2020).
At 12.30 p.m. police at Pakkret, Nonthaburi province, were alerted of a car ablaze at the side of 345 (Pathumthani-Bang Bua Thong) road near Pakkret 2 Hospital and quickly sent firemen and themselves rushed there.
At the scene they saw tongues of flame shooting out from the green Toyota Corona sedan with two cement trucks, which were passing by, having stopped to help put out the fire with the water in their vehicles, and it took them 30 minutes to extinguish it.
The stunned couple, Miss Nilnate and Mr Chayutphong, told police they had come to Pakkret to buy this used car for 22,000 baht and after completing the transaction drove out to return to their hometown in Kanchanaburi province. However minutes after leaving the dealer they saw smoke billowing from the engine so quickly parked the car and dashed out just before the fire erupted and quickly engulfed the whole vehicle.
The couple said they did not know why the car caught fire but mentioned that it does not run on autogas and nor is it insured.
Police took the couple back to the station to file a report before sending the gutted vehicle to be checked to determine the cause of the blaze.
The couple is expected to ask the dealer for damages.
CAPTION:
The newly-purchased sedan ablaze by the roadside, Thai headline says, “couple nearly grilled alive.” Photos: Sanook.com
Most likely, this car had engine work done improperly, or had sat for a long time. There was a fuel leak that ignited from poor spark plugs leads, or contact with exhaust manifold.