Scary moment passing truck's wheel explodes outside home

Residents were shocked when a passing truck's wheel exploded outside their home.

The ten-wheeler sugarcane delivery truck was driving at a normal speed when one of its tires burst before white dust filled the road in Sukhothai, Thailand, on February 14.

The explosion sparked panic among locals resting at an eatery on the other side of the road in front of their houses.

Onlookers screamed and fled the scene while the others ran to check on the truck as it could crash into the houses lining the road if not stopped.

Saowagee Potebua, who lives nearby, said the explosion was very loud that his ears went numb for a moment.

He said: 'Me and my friends were shocked.

I thought someone had fired a gun or a grenade in our direction.

'My ears went numb for a while and couldn't hear what was happening.

I'm relieved we were all safe.'

Truck driver Soobin Bantao, 60, slammed the brakes and jumped out of the vehicle to check what happened.

Soobin said he was relieved after finding no one was hurt from the incident and that the exploded tire did not hit anyone.

He said: 'I was really scared that I could have hurt someone.

The wheel was used for a long time and the road was really hot that day.

'I was heading to a parking lot to let the wheels cool but it exploded even before I could arrive.'

Soobin called the emergency services who helped him tow the vehicle to a nearby mechanic's shop.