Truck driver jailed 12 years for fatal accident

Ha Van Hoang, 27, was found guilty of violating road traffic regulations with serious consequences, a crime punishable by up to 15 years in jail under Vietnam’s Penal Code.

The court deemed his violation "very serious" and deserving of harsh punishment.

At the trial, the defendant kept his head bowed to avoid looking at the relatives of the dead attending the trial. After the sentencing, a repentant Hoang bowed to the victim’s families and asked for forgiveness.

According to the indictment, Hoang was driving a truck carrying bottled drinking water on National Highway 5 in Kim Thanh District, Hai Duong Province in northern Vietnam, around two hours east of Hanoi, when the accident happened.

A truck flips over on its side after hitting the divider on National Highway 5 in Hai Duong Province, killing five people early morning on July 23, 2019. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Chinh.

His driving without observing road signs caused the truck to crash into a street divider before flipping on its side, crushing motorbike commuters waiting in the middle of the road to cross to the other side.

The accident killed five people on the spot and seriously injured two others. The incident drew a lot of public attention as it pointed to apparent lack of safety at major road crossings.

Road accidents are a leading cause of death in Vietnam, killing almost one person every hour.

In the first five months of this year, the country recorded more than 5,500 traffic accidents, down 19 percent year-on-year. More than 2,700 people were killed in road crashes and 3,965 others injured, according to official figures.

 

 

Truck driver jailed 12 years for fatal accident

Crossing National Highway 5 on a wing and a prayer - edited