An 11-year-old boy was at the wheel of a pickup that crashed into and killed eight Buddhist monks during a pilgrimage in northeast Thailand on Thursday, officials said. A total of 35 monks had set out from Mukdahan on a 161-mile trek toward Ubon Ratchathani, starting roughly half an hour before disaster struck. Five died at the scene, and three died later in the hospital, Governor Worrayan Boonnarat said. Fourteen remain injured, four critically. Phra Sompong, one of the survivors, described the moment of impact in a clip circulated by rescuers. “Then suddenly the truck hit at full speed and crashed us like this,” he said. Monks told officers the truck was veering before it left the road. The boy had driven off in a family pickup without his parents’ permission, then lost control, officers said. He is now being held and will face questions once child welfare officials attend. Revered across Thailand, monks lead public processions and receive offerings from ordinary people. The governor said the crash was a warning about national road safety, which is among the world’s deadliest.
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