A garment truck struck a tire left in the middle of the road to alert motorists to a broken-down vehicle and overturned on Monday in Kampong Speu, killing a 23-year-old woman and injuring 13, police said.
The truck's driver was speeding and driving carelessly when the colllission happened at around 5:30am on National Road 51 in Phnom Touch commune, said Khim Samon, the Odong district police chief.
After the truck hit the tire, its axle broke, causing it to overturn.
There were 63 workers a board the truck and 13 of them sustained minor injuries and were being treated at Odong district referral hospital, Samon said. He identified the dead worker as Rom Sok Khoeun.
Some of the 63 workers are employed in factories in Odong district and Ang Snoul district in Kandal province. Sok Khoeun was from Odong district’s Meanchey commune, and her body was sent to her family for a funeral.
The driver, who lives in Ksem Ksan village in Odong district., fled the crash scene, but police have already identified him, though they declined to release his name.
“We are now searching for the driver,” Samon said.
Last week, 35 garment workers were injured during a five-truck pileup on National Road 4 in Preah Sihanouk province. Two of the garment workers were in critical condition following the crash.
