Ambulance bursts into flames after crash on HCMC expressway, killing 3

The accident occurred around 1 a.m. as the 12-seater ambulance, carrying five people, was traveling eastbound from HCMC toward Dong Nai Province. It was en route to the coastal town of Phan Thiet via the connecting Dau Giay – Phan Thiet Expressway.

 

 

Ambulance bursts into flames after crash on HCMC expressway, killing 3

Xe cứu thương tông ôtô đầu kéo trên cao tốc TP HCM - Dầu Giây, 3 người chết

As the ambulance approached the access road to a rest stop in Xuan Que Commune, it slammed into the rear of a container truck that was parked in the outermost lane leading into the facility.

The impact crushed the front of the ambulance, wedging it against the truck before the vehicle burst into flames.

Three people were trapped inside the burning wreckage and died at the scene. They have been identified as Nguyen Thi Lan Anh, 62, a female patient being transported, a man named Vo Van Nghia, 30, and the ambulance driver from Cho Ray Hospital in HCMC, whose identity has not yet been confirmed.

The moment an ambulance caught fire after hitting a tractor-trailer on Ho Chi Minh City – Long Thanh – Dau Giay Expressway on Dec. 18, 2025. Photo by a local resident.

Two passengers managed to escape the fire: a man named Vo Van Huan, 75, and Nguyen Thi Thanh Ha, 52, the younger sister of the deceased patient.

Traffic on the expressway was heavy at the time of the crash. Reports indicate a near-miss just moments prior; about five seconds before the collision, a passenger bus was forced to swerve into the innermost lane to avoid hitting the same stationary tractor-trailer.

A ambulance completely burned after hitting a tractor-trailer on Ho Chi Minh City – Long Thanh – Dau Giay Expressway on Dec. 18, 2025. Photo by Thai An

The 55-km HCMC – Long Thanh – Dau Giay Expressway, operational since 2015, is a critical artery connecting Ho Chi Minh City to the southeastern region. It handles the highest traffic volume in southern Vietnam, averaging 60,000–70,000 vehicles daily, and frequently suffers from severe congestion during holidays and weekends.

The expressway is currently undergoing expansion to widen its four lanes. The project is slated for basic completion by the end of 2026, aiming to alleviate congestion and improve connectivity to the future Long Thanh International Airport.