This is the heart-stopping moment a driver slammed the brakes to avoid hitting a herd of elephants crossing the road.

Toon Sangsab was driving home at night when the jumbos walked over the highway in Sa Kaeo province on November 6.

However, due to the low visibility on the rural road Toon did not see the animals until they came within the reach of his full-beam headlights.

Dashcam footage shows how Toon pushed the brakes to the floor as the vehicle skidded to a halt.

One younger elephant sensed the approaching danger and ran out of the way.

Toon's minivan then screeched to a stop brushed against the leathery skin of the adult elephant, which trotted away with the rest of the family.

He said that his car was scratched but none of the animals were hurt in the near-miss.

Toon added: ''I was driving at a normal speed for that road at nighttime. Probably between 40mph and 50mph.

''There was no lighting on the road but I saw the shadows, which looked too dark. I turned the lights onto 'strong' and then I could see the elephants, so I immediately pushed the brakes.

''I didn't hurt any of the elephants. Luckily I was still alert. If I had crashed into them they could have been killed.''

An estimated 2,000 elephants are living in the wild in Thailand and a similar number in captivity. In the wild, they roam through the deep jungle and in the country's protected national parks but often emerge on roads while they are migrating between different parts of woodland.