Da Lat accident injures five, driver reckoned high on meth

A Toyota Altis going towards the city center first hit a sedan on Nguyen Van Cu Street, before hitting five motorbikes and a taxi. The car only stopped after it rammed into an electric pole.

After the accident, the unnamed male driver of the car continued to stay in the driver’s seat while swaying and rambling. He was later taken to the police station.

"The driver shows signs of having used methamphetamine. When apprehended, he even bit a police officer," said Nguyen Van Hung, chief police officer of the Da Lat Police.

A motorbike and a taxi hit by a car in Da Lat on March 14, 2019. Photo by VnExpress/Hoang Phung

The injured are being treated at a local hospital and an investigation has been launched into the accident.

Da Lat is the capital city of the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong, and a national tourism hotspot.

Road crashes are a leading cause of deaths in Vietnam, killing almost one person every hour. A total of more than 18,720 traffic accidents occurred last year, killing 8,244 people and injuring nearly 14,800, according to the National Traffic Safety Committee.

Rising drug use has put more risks on the roads recently.