On the early morning of April 4th, authorities caught Pham Ba Quang (35 years old) red-handed scattering spikes on National Highway 51, passing through Tam Phuoc Ward, Bien Hoa City, Dong Nai. This dangerous act not only causes property damage to road users but also poses a latent risk of accidents, especially for heavy-duty vehicles such as trucks.
Self-made spikes used to puncture tires on Highway 51
Pham Ba Quang’s self-made rhomboid spikes, tools that endanger vehicles on Highway 51.
According to information from the Tam Phuoc Ward Police, Quang, a motorbike repairman operating on QL51, was discovered while spreading homemade spikes. Confiscated evidence included a plastic box filled with sharp metal spikes. At the investigating agency, Quang confessed to crafting these spikes himself from thick iron bars of about 2mm, cutting and shaping them into sharp rhomboids. The purpose of this action was to illegally profit from patching and replacing tires punctured by spikes near his repair shop.
Quang’s tactic was to scatter spikes at night on QL51, on the road near his repair shop. When road users, including motorbikes and cars, unfortunately ran over the spikes, they were forced to go to roadside repair shops to fix the problem. Taking advantage of this situation, Quang charged a service fee of 80,000 VND/tube and 350,000 VND/tire. Each day, this subject could “earn” from 4 to 6 vehicles that fell victim to the spike traps he created.
Pham Ba Quang's motorbike repair shop on Highway 51
Pham Ba Quang’s motorbike repair shop, where he exploited the spike-scattering behavior to attract customers.
Notably, Quang confessed to having carried out the spike-scattering act since January 2020. Over the past time, the situation of “spike bandits” running rampant on this road section has caused public outrage and seriously affected traffic safety. The police force has repeatedly discovered and handled subjects with similar acts; however, this situation still recurs.
The act of spreading spikes not only causes economic damage to people, especially those who use trucks frequently on this route, but also poses a very high risk of traffic accidents. Trucks, when running over sharp spikes, especially at high speeds, can experience sudden tire blowouts, leading to loss of control and causing serious accidents.
The Bien Hoa City Police have received the case file and the subject Pham Ba Quang to continue investigating and handling it strictly according to the law. This case once again rings an alarm bell about the problem of “spike bandits” and the need for stronger, more drastic measures to prevent and ensure traffic safety on key routes, especially those with high truck density such as QL51.
