A Vietnamese court has handed down a two-decade prison sentence to a truck driver accused of deliberately continuing to drive over a teenage girl following an initial collision, leading to her death. The Hanoi People's Court delivered the verdict on June 30 against 52-year-old Dinh Van Long, a resident of Phu Tho Province in northern Vietnam, for the killing of 14-year-old Nguyen Dao Ha A. in a case that has sent shockwaves through the transportation safety community across Southeast Asia.
The tragic incident unfolded on the morning of September 13, 2025, along National Highway 1A near the Van Diem underpass in Phu Xuyen Commune. Long had been employed as a driver for a local construction materials company since the beginning of 2024, operating a concrete mixer truck laden with approximately 14 tonnes of ready-mix concrete. As his vehicle navigated the underpass, a complex traffic scenario developed when another truck travelling in the same direction shifted into the left lane while the victim, riding an electric motorbike, attempted an overtaking maneuver from the right side of Long's truck.
According to evidence presented during the trial, the teenage girl lost her balance and control of the motorbike, ultimately falling directly onto the roadway immediately ahead of the truck's path. The vehicle's front right wheel made contact with her abdomen, delivering a devastating initial impact. Long reported that he experienced a sharp collision and felt the steering wheel vibrate beneath his hands. He applied the brakes, and the heavy truck gradually decelerated to a halt several metres further down the road.
What transformed this initial accident into a criminal matter of extraordinary gravity was Long's subsequent decision to continue operating the vehicle despite increasingly alarming signs that something remained trapped beneath it. After checking his mirrors and observing nothing unusual, Long—according to court documents and his own admissions—made a fateful choice to keep driving forward. During police questioning, he revealed the disturbing rationale behind this decision: he believed that if the girl survived, he would face substantial financial compensation demands, but if she perished, he would only shoulder criminal liability rather than ongoing monetary obligations.
As Long proceeded forward for an additional 10 metres, he became aware of mounting resistance and could detect the sensation of his tyres grinding against an object beneath the truck's chassis. Despite these unmistakable warning signs, he maintained his forward momentum until bystanders rushed toward the vehicle, frantically shouting warnings and gesturing toward the underside of the truck. Only then did Long finally cease driving. The victim had become pinned under the vehicle and had been dragged along the asphalt surface. When Long reversed the truck approximately three metres, the girl was extracted from beneath it, still showing vital signs but with catastrophic abdominal trauma that proved unsurvivable. She succumbed to her injuries during emergency transport to Bach Mai Hospital, one of Vietnam's most renowned medical centres.
Long subsequently fled the scene but surrendered himself to authorities later that same evening. The investigation that followed revealed his knowledge of his own culpability, establishing that his decision to continue driving forward constituted a deliberate choice rather than an unconscious reaction. The trial judges characterised his conduct as demonstrating "direct intent," finding that he consciously made the decision to proceed despite awareness that doing so endangered the victim's life. The court noted that this behaviour reflected a "violent nature" that had generated significant public concern and outrage.
The sentencing reflected the gravity with which Vietnamese courts treat cases where negligence escalates into intentional harm. Beyond the 20-year custodial sentence, the court ordered Long to provide additional financial restitution of VNĐ182 million to the victim's family in recognition of their losses. This supplemented compensation already provided by Long's daughter, who voluntarily paid VNĐ80 million (approximately US$3,000), and by his employer, who contributed VNĐ100 million (roughly US$3,800) in a separate settlement. The victim's family had pursued their claims vigorously throughout the legal proceedings, requesting severe punishment for the defendant and seeking reimbursement for emergency medical treatment, funeral arrangements, and non-economic damages including emotional suffering and loss of companionship.
The case reflects ongoing concerns within Vietnam and across Southeast Asia regarding road safety and accountability when commercial vehicle operators cause fatal accidents. It also illuminates the particular vulnerability of vulnerable road users—in this instance, a teenage girl on an electric motorbike—operating alongside large vehicles in congested traffic environments. The deliberate nature of Long's continued driving after initial impact sets this case apart from typical traffic fatalities and raises questions about deterrence, driver training, and whether existing penalties adequately protect road users from the most egregious conduct. For Malaysia and other regional nations with similarly heavy commercial vehicle traffic, this case serves as a cautionary example of how quickly a momentary lapse can transform into a calculated criminal act with permanent consequences.
