Around 8:30 p.m., a Hoang Long passenger bus with a Hanoi license plate and four cars – two with Dong Nai license plates and two from Ho Chi Minh City – collided consecutively on the northbound lane of the expressway through Tan Lap commune.

The bus, which was trailing, had its front windshield shattered. The other cars sustained damage to their front and rear sections. Debris scattered across the road, and some drivers suffered minor scratches.

Scene of the five-car chain collision on the Phan Thiet - Dau Giay expressway, evening of February 23. *Video: Anh Tai*

The stopped vehicles, some blocking the middle of the road, forced traffic to slow significantly, leading to congestion that stretched for several kilometers.

"I was traveling from Nha Trang to Ho Chi Minh City and got stuck here, inching along. It took almost half an hour to get past the congested area," said Nguyen Minh Thang, a ride-sharing driver.

Immediately after the accident, highway traffic police (CSGT) and local authorities arrived to direct traffic, regulate the flow, and investigate the cause.

Traffic congestion stretched for kilometers past the accident site. *Photo: Anh Tai*

The Phan Thiet - Dau Giay expressway, spanning 99 km with a total investment exceeding 12,500 billion VND, connects Dong Nai and Lam Dong provinces. In recent days, the volume of vehicles traveling south from northern and central provinces after the Tet Lunar New Year holiday has surged, frequently overloading the route. Many drivers failing to maintain a safe distance contribute to the recurrent chain collisions on this expressway.

Earlier the same day, at noon, two other chain collisions involving a total of eight cars occurred on the same expressway, approximately 3 km apart. These incidents caused congestion near Xuan Dinh and Xuan Hoa communes in Dong Nai province.

Tu Huynh