Two on-duty Kampong Thom provincial traffic police died after a truck with a faulty transmission ploughed into their vehicle in Kampong Svay district on Monday night.

Chhun Chhayyean, deputy traffic police chief in the district, said the collision occurred at 6:20pm in Sankoa commune. He identified the dead officers as deputy head of the provincial police’s traffic accident office Chea Samnag, 43, and traffic officer Rith Panha, 25.

“One died at the scene immediately, and the other police officer died of his injuries in hospital,” Chhayyean said. “The accident happened because the truck, which was transporting beer, had a faulty transmission.”

Three others were injured in the crash, although the driver of the truck, who escaped, emerged unscathed, he added.

Ear Chariya, director of the Institute for Road Safety, said the accident highlighted the need for consistent, nation-wide enforcement of road safety legislation.

“There is some enforcement of [vehicle] safety checks, but not strictly, especially in the provinces, where it’s not carried out very strictly,” Chariya said.