A young female elephant was killed after being hit by a truck while following her mother for food this morning (15/08).

The 18-wheel trailer smashed into the seven-year-old juvenile as she walked behind the older jumbo in Chonburi, eastern Thailand.

She was knocked into a road side ditch while the lorry overturned injuring the driver, Sompong Boonchuay, 54, in the crash at around 4.30am.

Rescue workers arrived and battled to save the elephant which was winched out of the water using a crane and loaded onto a truck to be driven to an animal hospital.

But sadly, she stopped breathing shortly after setting off and was pronounced dead.

Wildlife officer Padet Laithong said vets gave the elephant painkillers before trying to deliver her to the Animal Hospital at Kasetsart University Kamphaeng Saen campus in Nakhon Pathom province.

The vet, Thananon Panpetch, who later examined the dead elephant said she was killed by the impact of the crash having suffered fractured legs and a broken back.

Police Liutenant Colonel Ramet Natechinda from the Nong Yai station said officers were investigating what caused the crash.

He said: ''The front of the vehicle was badly damaged and the driver was injured. He had pain in the lower leg and scratches on his body. He was taken to Nong Yai hospital.''

Witness Chatree Srisakul said he was travelling in the opposite lane when he saw two elephants walking in the road.

He said: ''I drove past the elephants then looked in the rear view mirror and saw the young elephant's bottom. Then the truck could not move out of the road and collided with the small elephant. The elephant tumbled down the side of the road. I turned around and went to help.''