A truck accident on National Highway 5 in Hai Phong caused a five-hour traffic jam and significant damage to automatic weigh station equipment early on 3/6. The incident occurred around 3:30 AM when driver Pham Chinh Khoi, 41, from Hong An commune, Hai Phong, was traveling from Hai Phong to Hanoi.

Upon reaching An Phong commune, the truck unexpectedly struck the central median. The impact toppled the gantry supporting the automatic weigh station's camera system before the vehicle overturned. Khoi sustained injuries in the crash.

A vehicle crashed into the median and the automatic weigh station camera gantry on the morning of 3/6. *Photo: Xuan Hoa*

At the scene, the truck lay overturned with its front severely damaged, resting on the median. The automatic weigh station camera gantry and several iron barriers on the concrete median were knocked down, obstructing the Hai Phong - Hanoi direction of National Highway 5. This blockage resulted in a traffic jam stretching several kilometers.

Traffic flow on National Highway 5 was restored around 8:30 AM, five hours after the initial accident. Authorities later determined that Khoi lost control of the vehicle due to inattentive driving.

The automatic weigh station camera gantry on National Highway 5 was knocked down, blocking the road. *Photo: Xuan Hoa*

National Highway 5, a 116 km vital northern artery, opened in 1998 with four lanes. The route experiences high traffic density as it connects numerous industrial zones across Hanoi, Hung Yen, and Hai Phong. Daily traffic exceeds 90,000 vehicles, six times its designed capacity.

An automatic vehicle weighing system has been operating on National Highway 5 since 2020 as part of a pilot program. Two weighing units are installed on the Hai Phong - Hanoi direction at km78+830, with two additional units on the Hanoi - Hai Phong direction at km78+150.

Le Tan