Eight monks were killed and 14 others were injured when an 11-year-old boy driving his father's pickup truck veered off a road and struck them as they walked on a pilgrimage in Mukdahan, Thailand. Five monks died at the scene, and three others succumbed to their injuries later at a local hospital, according to Mukdahan Governor Worrayan Boonnarat.
The religious group had started their 161-mile trek to Ubon Ratchathani approximately 30 minutes before the incident occurred.
Security footage showed about 35 monks walking in single file along the roadway when the out-of-control truck collided with them, throwing several of the holy men into the air. Surviving monks reported seeing the vehicle swerving before it left the road and struck the group.
The driver, an 11-year-old boy, has been taken into custody and is expected to be questioned by child protection officers. The cause of the incident remains under investigation.
The crash left the roadway scattered with robed bodies and the pickup truck with a heavily damaged front end. Of the 14 injured, four were reported to be in critical condition.
