Police expand investigation into crash that killed 10 monks

PUBLISHED : 7 Jul 2026 at 05:23

Police are investigating whether an adult taught an 11-year-old autistic boy to drive before he crashed a pickup truck into a group of monks on July 2, killing 10 people and injuring several others.

The crash occurred while monks and lay followers were walking down a road in Muang district of Mukdahan province. Authorities initially reported nine deaths, but the toll rose to 10 after an injured monk later died.

Investigators at Mukdahan police station are questioning witnesses and people close to the boy's family to establish whether he had driven before and whether anyone taught him or allowed him to practise. The findings will determine whether anyone else could face charges.

The boy's grandparents and class teacher have already been questioned. Police said they will review all available evidence before deciding whether to press charges.

The boy remains in the care of the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security.

Watcharaporn Piewkham, director of the Mukdahan Provincial Special Education Centre, said staff only realised the boy was one of their students after police contacted the centre's Don Tan district service unit.

He had been absent from school on the day of the crash after his mother told teachers he was ill.

Ms Watcharaporn said the boy enrolled at the centre in 2021 with significant developmental difficulties that affected his communication and ability to adapt. Over time, however, he learned to follow basic rules and interacted well with classmates.

She said his mother or grandmother always took him to school by pickup truck or motorcycle and that she had never seen him drive.

Ms Watcharaporn said he had a good memory for things that interested him, adding he may have memorised what he saw while watching his mother drive.