Four have been killed and 18 others injured when a truck ran into dozens of motorbikes waiting at a red light in the southern province of Long An on January 2.

The scene of the accident

According to police reports, the accident occurred at 3.20 pm in Ben Luc District. Many motorbikes were waiting for the red light when the truck driven by Pham Thanh Hieu, born in 1987, arrived. 

He was driving to HCM City from Tien Giang Province. At the intersection, he was driving at the speed of 45km/h, suffered a break failure and crashed directly into 21 motorbikes.

Three people were killed immediately and 19 were injured. Another victim died at Long An General Hospital shortly after. 

Six people who are in critical condition have been transferred to Cho Ray Hospital while the rest is being treated at Long An General Hospital and Ben Luc Hospital.

"I couldn't believe my eyes," said Nguyen Thu Huynh, a local in Ben Luc. "The truck just drove straight into the crowd at the red light and then people were scattered everywhere. The screaming was horrifying. I and other people ran out to help and call the authorities."

Hieu ran away after causing the accident so the police had to ask his family to persuade him to go to the police. 

Seven hours after the accident, he brought himself in. Hieu was given his driver’s licence in September 2015 and the truck was registered in March.

Colonel Nguyen Son, head of the Criminal Police Department in Long An, said they would prosecute Hieu. "It's unclear whether he was driving under the influence or not," he said.

Initial investigation shows that Hieu might have been trying to run the red light. Deputy Minister of Transport Le Dinh Tho urged the police to investigate the case, Hieu's activity before the accident and the operation of his employer, Thanh Duc Transportation Company.

Dtinews