Three people died on February 5 when a van transporting wood and handicrafts and a lorry transporting cassava collided in O’Krieng commune’s O’Preah village of Kratie province’s Sambor district.

Deputy district police chief Khoem Por Sreng in charge of traffic said the accident was caused by the van – which had no licence plates – driving carelessly and attempting to pass on a curve from south to north.

When the van rounded the curve it hit the Hyundai lorry in a head-on collision at high speed.

The police report said the first victim who died in the accident was the van driver Kang Ratana, a 21-year-old resident of Koh Khner village in Sambor district’s O’Krieng commune. The second and third were his passengers Sok Thal, 28, and Som Phalla, 18.

The driver of the lorry, Chea Socheat, 25, escaped without serious injury.

Por Sreng said the victims’ bodies were handed over to their families for traditional funerals.

Both van and lorry were badly damaged and were temporarily retained at O’Krieng police station.

Por Sreng told The Post on February 7 that traffic police would call the relevant parties in this traffic accident to settle civil compensation at the district police station on February 8. The van owners would be providing compensation to the victim’s families.

“The deceased was just a van driver, which means that he was driving for his boss. So, currently the boss is facilitating compensation for the deceased. This Monday, I will invite them to resolve the matter with civil compensation and then I will file a case to the court,” he said.