Two people died and eight were injured when a truck crashed into a shopfront on Monday in Kampong Thom province’s Baray district, police said yesterday.

The driver was transporting watermelons when he lost control of the truck while trying to pass a car in Triel commune.

“The driver tried to overtake a car while speeding and crashed into a store full of villagers,” said Keo Hour, Baray district deputy police chief.

He said the district police are searching for the driver of the truck, who fled the scene of the accident.

Chhreb Soth, 23, and Pum Ngeb, 22, died at the scene and the injured were taken to a local hospital.

This was the first major traffic accident in the commune, according to Heng Chihear, deputy police chief of Triel commune.

He added that the truck was being held at the district police station.

Tram Iv Tek, minister of public works and transportation, said last week that there were approximately 8,000 traffic accidents resulting in 1,800 deaths in 2010.