Boy had stayed home sick, used key left in truck
The crash occurred in Mukdahan province, part of Thailand’s Isan region about 400 miles northeast of Bangkok, as a group of 35 monks were walking on a religious pilgrimage. Witnesses told police they saw the truck swerving as it approached the procession, according to authorities.
The boy, whom police described as having special needs, took the family truck after his mother left the key in the vehicle. The mother called police when she discovered her son and the truck missing, the Bangkok Post reported.
Police Major General Pairoj Thaiphutsa, speaking to the BBC, said “the suspect is a child.” He noted that the vehicle “has been taken for forensic examination to determine the cause.”
Five monks were killed at the scene, and four more died later at local hospitals, according to United Press International, citing The New York Times. The crash seriously injured 14 others.
The boy was taken to a police station but is in a state of shock and has not been questioned yet, according to the Bangkok Post. He is currently in the care of his parents, Thaiphutsa said.
Buddhist walking pilgrimages are common in Thailand, and monks traveling on foot typically receive significant respect and support from local communities along their routes.