Top province official in deep water over fatal hit-and-run

Nguyen Van Dieu, 53, suspended head of the internal affairs department of the northern province's Communist Party Committee, stands accused of being the driver of the car that caused the accident on Tran Thu Do Street on May 8, Thai Binh police said Wednesday.

The car hit an electric motorbike, ridden by 63-year-old Pham Thi Nguyen, at an intersection on Tran Thu Do, before ramming into two motorbikes. The incident killed Nguyen and injured the two motorbike riders. The car was only intercepted after it left the accident scene around three kilometers.

Police are looking into a potential charge for offences related to road traffic regulations.

Dieu has since been suspended by Thai Binh Party unit's Standing Committee and his title as a Standing Committee member revoked.

He has yet to be detained.

Road accidents are a leading cause of death in Vietnam, killing one person nearly every hour. There were over 17,000 accidents in 2019, which claimed 7,624 lives.

Violations of road traffic regulations are punishable by up to 15 years in jail.