A horrific traffic accident occurred on the Ho Chi Minh Road, passing through Chu Se town, Gia Lai on May 7, 2017, shocking the public. A truck driving in the wrong direction collided head-on with a passenger bus, claiming the lives of many and leaving behind immense grief. The incident once again sounded an alarm about the situation of trucks driving in the wrong direction, one of the leading causes of serious traffic accidents in Vietnam.
At dawn, a passenger bus with license plate 18B-018.32 of Duc Ha bus company was traveling in the direction of Dak Lak to Gia Lai. Suddenly, a tractor-trailer with a Binh Dinh province license plate driving in the opposite direction at high speed rushed towards it, crashing straight into the passenger bus. The strong impact completely deformed the front of both vehicles. The truck, fully loaded with fertilizer, overturned in the middle of the road, causing serious traffic obstruction.
Scene of the horrific wrong-way truck accident in Gia Lai
According to initial information, the tragic accident killed 12 people and injured dozens more. By noon of the same day, as rescue forces and people were cleaning up the scene, another victim was discovered dead under a layer of fertilizer bags, bringing the total number of deaths to 13. This victim was thrown from the bus and buried by the goods from the truck.
A quick report from the Gia Lai Provincial Traffic Safety Board stated that the accident occurred at 4:35 AM on May 7, 2017, at Km1632+100 of the Ho Chi Minh Road. The truck with license plate 77C-139.37 collided with the passenger bus 18B-018.32. The consequences were particularly serious, with 10 people dying at the scene and 24 injured.
Immediately after the wrong-way truck accident occurred, leaders of Gia Lai province urgently directed functional agencies to mobilize rescue forces. The deceased victims were taken to Chu Se District Hospital for autopsy, while the injured were transferred to Gia Lai General Hospital and Chu Se Hospital for treatment.
The Director of the Department of Transport and the Deputy Director of the Provincial Police of Gia Lai directly directed the handling of the scene and traffic regulation. According to data from the Directorate for Roads of Vietnam, the truck 77C-139.37 was traveling at a speed of 105km/h at 4:31:46 AM, just 15 seconds before that, this vehicle was also traveling at a speed of 103km/h. The wrong-way truck accident that killed many people caused extremely serious consequences.
Standing Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh directed the specialized Deputy Chairman of the National Traffic Safety Committee Khuat Viet Hung and Deputy Minister of Transport Le Dinh Tho to quickly go to Gia Lai to coordinate with provincial leaders in directing the work of overcoming the consequences and visiting the victims.
People living near the scene said that the section of road where the accident occurred is a one-way street with a solid median. However, the truck went in the wrong direction and caused a horrific collision. The owner of Duc Ha passenger bus also confirmed the information and said that he had lost contact with all drivers, assistants, and staff on the bus.
Overturned truck after a serious traffic accident in Gia Lai
The wrong-way truck accident in Gia Lai is a profound wake-up call regarding the traffic law compliance awareness of a portion of truck drivers today. The situation of trucks, especially tractor-trailers and container trucks, driving in the wrong direction not only poses a high risk of accidents but also causes particularly serious consequences when collisions occur.
Causes of Trucks Driving in the Wrong Direction and Prevention Solutions
There are many reasons why trucks drive in the wrong direction, including:
- Lack of observation, not paying attention to signs: Drivers may not be focused or not carefully observe traffic signs, leading to entering a one-way street or going in the wrong direction.
- Subjectivity, intentional violation: Some truck drivers intentionally go in the wrong direction to save time or distance, especially on deserted roads or at night.
- Time pressure, delivery: In some cases, pressure regarding delivery time can cause truck drivers to disregard dangers, violate traffic laws, including driving in the wrong direction.
- Use of stimulants, fatigue: The situation of truck drivers using stimulants or working excessively, leading to fatigue, reduced concentration, and judgment is also a cause of dangerous driving behaviors, including going in the wrong direction.
To prevent trucks from driving in the wrong direction and minimize the risk of traffic accidents, there needs to be synchronized coordination between functional agencies, transport businesses, and the awareness of each driver:
- Strengthen patrols and inspections: Functional forces need to strengthen patrols, inspections, and strictly handle cases of trucks violating traffic laws, especially driving in the wrong direction.
- Raise awareness of traffic law compliance: Transport businesses need to strengthen education and propaganda to raise awareness of traffic law compliance for the driver team. Each driver also needs to raise their awareness, strictly comply with the provisions of the law when participating in traffic.
- Improve traffic infrastructure: The traffic sign system needs to be reviewed, supplemented, and upgraded to be easy to observe, clear, and complete.
- Apply monitoring technology: Transport businesses should apply travel and speed monitoring technologies to manage and remind drivers, promptly detect and prevent violations.
The wrong-way truck accident that killed people in Gia Lai is a painful lesson. To prevent similar tragedies from happening, it requires the joint efforts of the entire community, from state management agencies, transport businesses to every road user. “Xe Tai My Dinh” calls on all truck drivers to raise their awareness of safe driving, comply with traffic laws, and protect the lives and property of themselves and the community.
