At 4:40 PM, Nguyen Hoang Vu, a 39-year-old driver from Quang Ngai province, was driving a sleeper bus on National Highway 20 from Ho Chi Minh City to Da Lat. About one kilometer past Bao Loc Pass, near the B'Lao Sre intersection (Bao Loc City) where construction was underway on a culvert across the road, traffic had backed up due to vehicles queuing in front of him.

The sleeper bus stopped in the left lane after the accident. Photo: Hoai Thanh

The sleeper bus stopped in the left lane after the accident. Photo: Hoai Thanh

Vu steered the bus completely into the oncoming lane to overtake the queue. He hit a motorbike driven by a 16-year-old from Hamlet 5, Ward 3, who was crossing the road between two stopped cars. The impact killed the teenager instantly, dragging his motorbike for dozens of meters and severely damaging it.

The accident caused a traffic jam of nearly 5 kilometers in both directions on National Highway 20. Traffic police arrived to manage the traffic and investigate the scene to determine the cause.

Recently, National Highway 20, the main route connecting Ho Chi Minh City and Da Lat, has experienced frequent congestion due to infrastructure upgrades, particularly in the Bao Loc Pass area. On weekends, traffic jams in this section can be extensive.

Hoai Thanh