On 5/8, 33-year-old Trung was charged by Vinh Long provincial police with violating road traffic regulations under Article 260 of the penal code. He is currently under house arrest.
Due to Trung's ongoing medical treatment, investigators served the legal documents at his home, where his wife signed for them. Authorities have confirmed that Trung remains unresponsive and unable to communicate or cooperate with the investigation.
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The scene of the accident that killed the student on 4/9/2024. Photo: Provided by local residents |
On the morning of 4/9/2024, Trung was driving his truck from Vam Vong commune to Vinh Xuan commune in Tra On district. Seeing a pickup truck stopped on the right shoulder, Trung signaled and moved into the left lane to overtake.
At the same time, three female students were riding an electric bicycle in the opposite direction. The lead cyclist stopped due to the narrow road upon seeing Trung's truck. The 14-year-old student behind her couldn't stop in time, collided with her friend's bicycle, and fell into the path of Trung's truck. She later died in the hospital.
Initially, Tra On district police decided not to prosecute the case, citing "no crime committed." The victim's family appealed, but their petition was rejected by both the Tra On district and Vinh Long provincial People's Procuracy.
On the morning of 28/4, Nguyen Vinh Phuc, the 42-year-old father of the deceased student, entered Trung’s home with a handgun and shot him. Phuc then fled a short distance before shooting himself. Local authorities transported both men to a hospital in Can Tho and confiscated the homemade firearm. Phuc died later that evening from his injuries, while Trung remained hospitalized.
On 2/5, the Supreme People’s Procuracy reviewed the case and determined that the previous decisions to reject the appeal lacked a legal basis. The following day, Vinh Long provincial People's Procuracy agreed, finding that Trung had unsafely overtaken the pickup truck, given the presence of an obstacle and oncoming traffic. This action violated traffic laws and indicated a criminal offense related to road traffic violations.
On 7/5, Vinh Long provincial police initiated criminal proceedings under Article 260 of the penal code. Investigators determined Trung's decision to overtake in the left lane was the primary cause of the accident.
After nearly a month of treatment, Trung was discharged with severe disabilities, including full paralysis on one side of his body and near-total loss of consciousness.
An Binh
