Driver detained after night accident kills five

Quach Dinh Trong, 57, the driver of a 16-seat bus that collided with two trucks, one after another, in Huu Lung District, is being investigated for offences against regulations on road traffic, police of Lang Son said.

Trong said he was not sleepy while driving. The accident happened due to the dark and the steep road, which made him unable to react in time when he saw a container truck parked on the side of the road, he added.

The police are also clarifying whether Nguyen Van Tuan, 38, was obstructing traffic by parking his tow truck on the side of the road at the time. Tuan’s truck was hit by Trong’s bus from behind. Trong’s bus then continued to collide with another truck coming from the opposite direction, resulting in five deaths among the passengers on the bus.

All drivers involved did not have alcohol or drugs in their systems. At the time of the accident, around 2 a.m. Tuesday, the bus did not have updated itinerary monitoring data.