2 truck drivers in Hanoi jailed for crash that killed woman, 3 children

The Hanoi People's Court on Thursday sentenced Dam Van Luong, 39, to 12 years and Le Van Nga, 59, to five years.

Le Van Tiep, 45, received a three-year prison sentence for "putting into use a road motor vehicle that fails to meet safety standards."

According to the indictment, Tiep set up Anh Dung Transport Construction and Trading Co., Ltd., to offer goods transport services.

In July last year he leased out six dump trucks to a company for transporting construction materials, including one truck with an expired inspection certificate and illegally modified to increase its capacity.

Tiep was fully aware of the truck's status but still authorized the vehicle for use, the court said in its verdict.

Luong worked for Anh Dung Company and was assigned to drive the truck with the expired certificate.

(From L) Dam Van Luong, Le Van Tiep and Le Van Nga at a court in Hanoi, May 22, 2024. Photo by VnExpress/Danh Lam

At around 11 a.m. on July 16, 2024, he was carrying over 34 tons of stone, nearly three times the truck's legal capacity, from a quarry in Hoai Duc District to a construction site in Hanoi.

When he reached an intersection in the district's Duong Lieu Commune, he did not slow down but simply honked his horn while attempting to race through.

Nga was driving a truck at the intersection at that moment.

Meanwhile, a 32-year-old woman named Hai was riding a motorbike with her three children (aged 13, 10, and 8) in the opposite direction.

On hearing Luong's horn she pulled to the right side of the road to let him pass.

Nga also reached the intersection and did not slow down either.

Luong only noticed Nga's truck when he reached the middle of the intersection, and swerved to avoid a collision.

Nga spotted Luong's truck and stepped on the gas hoping to avoid its path.

But the speeding drivers' last-ditch efforts did not work, and the two trucks collided and skidded toward the woman and her children.

The giant vehicles crushed the four victims against a bridge barrier. All four died instantly and Nga was injured.

Luong reversed and fled the scene but was arrested the following day.

The court deemed the defendants' actions caused immense social and emotional loss as well as economic hardship for the victims' family.

The primary cause of the accident was the "failure to comply with traffic laws," it stated.

The dump truck driven by Le Van Luong after the fatal accident in July 2024. Photo by VnExpress/Pham Chieu

Though Luong and Nga were found to have committed the crime unintentionally, the court identified the former as the main cause.

He had also been under the influence of narcotics at the time.

In court the defendants admitted their wrongdoing, apologized to the victims' families and pleaded for forgiveness.

Civil compensation was resolved privately, and no legal complaints were filed.

The victims' families submitted requests for commutation of their sentences.

In addition to his imprisonment, Tiep was also banned from engaging in transport services for five years and the drivers were banned from driving for five years.