Drivers argued 3 minutes before a series of accidents on Hanoi highway

Witnesses tell about the accident

A series of accidents on the Hanoi - Hai Phong highway, through Gia Loc town, Hai Duong province at 9:00 a.m. on July 11, killed 2 people, 2 people suffered broken thigh bones, liver damage and had to be transferred to Hanoi for treatment, and 4 others were monitored at Hai Duong General Hospital.

Reports from the Traffic Police Department, the Traffic Safety Committee of Hai Duong province, the Hanoi - Hai Phong Expressway Management and Operation Company, and traces at the scene show that the drivers of the vehicles showed signs of violating traffic regulations, leading to the series of accidents.

A pickup truck driven by Mr. D.QH (41 years old, residing in Ha Tinh province) carrying 2 people was traveling from Hanoi to Hai Phong when it braked suddenly, causing a 16-seat car driven by Mr. QVL (35 years old, residing in Hoa Binh province) carrying 10 people to collide with the rear. The Traffic Police Department confirmed that this was a minor collision.

According to regulations, when driving on the highway, if there is an accident, the driver must immediately turn on the emergency lights, check the rearview mirror to make sure it is safe before getting off the road and placing a warning sign at least 150 meters away from the vehicle. If the vehicle is not seriously damaged, take photos of the scene, mark the 4 wheels and find a way to move the vehicle into the emergency lane, said a representative of the Hanoi - Hai Phong Expressway Management and Operation Company.

According to this person, in case of serious vehicle breakdown, the driver must set off the warning and move the vehicle out of the highway lane and call the highway patrol hotline (number 19006989), belonging to the Hanoi - Hai Phong Expressway Management and Operation Company Limited. This phone number has been made public since the highway was put into operation and is on a series of signs along the road.

However, the highway management company said it had not received any calls for assistance from drivers involved in the accident. They only learned from observing traffic cameras that after the collision, the 16-seat vehicle and the pickup truck stopped in the 120 km/h lane, close to the hard median strip.

Video from a surveillance camera on the road shows the pickup truck with its emergency lights on even though it was parked in front, the 16-seat car parked behind it did not have its emergency lights on, and the driver did not place a warning sign. Despite the minor collision, the two drivers did not let the vehicle move into the emergency lane, and the people in the two vehicles did not leave the highway lane.

Driver D.QH and two people in the pickup truck, Mr. TTA (34 years old, residing in Thanh Hoa) and LNH (36 years old, residing in Nghe An) got out onto the road, standing right in front of the 16-seat vehicle, in the 120 km/h lane, arguing about the collision.

According to the Traffic Safety Committee of Hai Duong province, about 3-5 minutes after the people in the two cars stopped to argue, TNT (28 years old, living in Thai Binh) drove a 7-seater car and crashed into it, killing 2 people and seriously injuring the other. This car also crashed into the side of a 16-seater car and turned sideways in the middle of the road. The TNT driver and his passenger were trapped in the car.

7-seat car's front end crushed, 16-seat car's rear door burst open in accident at 9am on July 11

Surveillance camera images on the road and witnesses show that before hitting the 16-seat vehicle, the 7-seat vehicle showed no signs of braking or steering to avoid the collision even though the distance between the two vehicles was very close. Meanwhile, according to Circular 31/2019 of the Ministry of Transport, the minimum safe distance between two vehicles in normal conditions is 100 m if the vehicle is traveling at a speed of 100-120 km/h.

In fact, the Hanoi - Hai Phong highway has a distance sign system of 0-50-100 m so that drivers know how far away they are from the car in front. For example, the car is at 0 m, the car in front is at 50 m, meaning the distance between the two cars is 50 m. Depending on the speed, drivers can change the distance to drive safely.

In addition, according to many experts, a 3-5 minute argument on the road is enough time for the pickup truck, the 16-seat car and the people in the 2 cars to move into the emergency lane. If they had moved in time, the 7-seat car might not have crashed.

The Vietnam Register's report shows that all three 16-seat and 7-seat vehicles and the pickup truck were manufactured in 2023-2024 and are still under inspection until 2025-2026. The speed of the pickup truck and the 7-seat vehicle has not been recorded, but the 16-seat vehicle was traveling at 101 km/h before the accident.

The Traffic Police Department has handed over the accident to Hai Duong Police for investigation. The Hai Duong Provincial Traffic Safety Committee supported the family of the deceased with 5 million VND and the injured with 2 million VND.

The Hanoi - Hai Phong Expressway is 105 km long, passing through Hanoi, Hung Yen, Hai Duong and Hai Phong. The road surface is 32.5 to 35 m wide with 6 lanes, 2 emergency lanes. Vehicles are allowed to travel at a maximum speed of 120 km/h, minimum speed of 60 km/h.

TB (according to VnExpress)

Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/lai-xe-tranh-cai-3-phut-truoc-tai-nan-lien-hoan-tren-cao-toc-ha-noi-hai-phong-doan-qua-hai-duong-dan-den-tu-vong-387224.html