Taxi driver faces fine for driving with doors open to transport critical crash victim

By Le Hoang   May 17, 2017 | 12:21 am PT
Taxi driver faces fine for driving with doors open to transport critical crash victim
Nguyen Van Dat and the taxi he used to rush a road crash victim to hospital on May 12. Photo by VnExpress/Lam Son
‘I know it was dangerous, but it was urgent and I could not think of another way.’

A taxi driver in the northern province of Thanh Hoa is facing punishment after being caught speeding with his doors open as he was trying to take the victim of a traffic accident to hospital.

Nguyen Van Dat, 20, said he arrived at the crash site last Friday where people stopped him and asked him to take the victim to hospital.

“I saw a woman lying unconscious in a pool of blood so I just stopped my car,” Dat said. He then called his company and was instructed to provide help. His passenger also agreed to wait for another taxi, he said.

The woman was lifted into the backseat of the car on a wooden panel that was too long for the doors to shut. Her husband and son traveled in the taxi and held the doors to make sure they did not swing open. Another family member drove ahead on a motorbike to warn other road-users.

“I know it was dangerous, but it was urgent and I could not think of another way,” Dat said. “At that moment all I could think about was helping that woman.”

The woman is receiving treatment for brain injuries.

Police tracked down Dat after a video was posted online.

Pham Viet Giang, a senior traffic police officer in Thanh Hoa, said his unit is collecting evidence and statements before making a decision.

Giang said the driver had done a good deed by saving the woman.

“But from a traffic safety perspective, his act endangered other drivers,” he said.

The story has captured local interest, with many people praising the driver and saying that he should be rewarded not punished.

Some also said that if authorities are so strict in emergency cases, potential heroes will stay away when they see people in trouble.

Others said that he should be punished for the traffic violations but rewarded for his brave actions.

 
 
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