A Vietnamese court has delivered a harsh judgment in a case that shocked public opinion across Hanoi, sentencing a truck driver to two decades behind bars for the death of a teenager who was struck and then deliberately dragged beneath his vehicle. The Hanoi People's Court handed down the conviction on Tuesday, June 30, against 52-year-old Dinh Van Long from Phu Tho Province, finding him guilty of murder in the September 2025 death of Nguyen Dao Ha A., a girl born in 2010 who lived in Phu Xuyen Commune within the capital.
The sequence of events that led to the fatal incident began when Long, who had been working as a driver for a local construction materials supplier since January 2024, was operating a concrete mixer truck carrying approximately 14 tonnes of ready-mix concrete along National Highway 1A on the morning of September 13. As his heavy vehicle approached the Van Diem underpass in Phu Xuyen Commune, the situation became dangerous when another truck travelling in the same direction moved into the left lane while the teenage victim simultaneously attempted to overtake from the right side on her electric motorbike.
The girl lost control of her two-wheeler and fell directly into the path of Long's oncoming truck. The front right wheel of the mixer immediately ran over her abdomen with tremendous force. Long told investigators that he heard a loud impact and felt the steering wheel shake violently beneath his hands. He applied the brakes, and the truck gradually slowed to a halt several metres further along the road. However, what followed would transform a tragic accident into an act that prosecutors characterised as deliberately fatal.
After coming to a stop, Long checked his mirrors to assess the situation. Critically, he failed to spot the girl beneath his vehicle. At this juncture, rather than exiting his cab to investigate or seeking help, the driver made a calculated decision rooted in financial self-interest. According to the indictment filed by prosecutors, Long's own statements to investigators revealed his motivation: he feared that if the girl survived, he would face substantial compensation claims, whereas if she perished, he would only face criminal charges. This cold calculus set the stage for the crime that would shock the nation.
What happened next demonstrated the intentional nature of Long's actions. Despite feeling unusual resistance and sensing the truck's tyres grinding against something solid beneath the vehicle, Long deliberately pressed forward, driving the truck an additional ten metres while the girl remained trapped and being dragged along the pavement. The driver only brought the truck to a complete halt when bystanders rushed towards the vehicle, frantically shouting that an accident had occurred and pointing urgently beneath it. By that time, the teenage victim had been dragged along the road surface, sustaining catastrophic abdominal injuries from the ordeal.
When emergency responders extracted the girl from beneath the truck, she was still breathing, though in critical condition. However, the injuries she had sustained during the dragging proved too severe. She died during transport to Bach Mai Hospital, one of Vietnam's most renowned medical facilities. Long subsequently fled the scene but turned himself in to authorities later that same evening, a move that likely influenced the court's assessment despite the gravity of his actions.
The legal proceedings that followed examined the evidence with particular focus on Long's state of mind and deliberate choices. Prosecutors presented the case as an instance of murder rather than mere negligence or vehicular manslaughter, arguing that the driver's conscious decision to continue driving after feeling resistance beneath the truck constituted direct intent to cause death. The trial panel agreed with this assessment, describing Long's conduct as exhibiting "particularly dangerous" behaviour and demonstrating "violent nature" that warranted the maximum severity of punishment. The court specifically found that he had knowingly continued driving over the victim due to fear of financial liability, transforming what began as a tragic accident into an intentional act.
The case resonated deeply with Vietnamese public sentiment, prompting widespread outrage at the callousness displayed. The victim's family, devastated by the loss of their teenage daughter, made clear their expectations that justice would be served through a severe sentence. Beyond the prison term, the court imposed additional financial consequences on the defendant. While Long's daughter voluntarily contributed VNĐ80 million (approximately US$3,000) in compensation and his employer added VNĐ100 million (US$3,800) to assist the grieving family, the court ordered Long himself to pay a further VNĐ182 million in compensation. This combination of severe imprisonment and substantial financial penalties underscores the legal system's determination to provide justice and acknowledgement of the family's loss.
The verdict carries implications for road safety discourse across Southeast Asia, where motorcycle accidents involving larger vehicles remain a persistent problem. The case illustrates how driver behaviour in the critical moments following an accident can determine whether a tragedy becomes a criminal act of the highest order. In Vietnam, where traffic fatalities remain a significant public health concern, the decision to charge and convict Long of murder rather than negligent homicide sends a forceful message that drivers bear responsibility not only for preventing accidents but for responding appropriately when accidents occur. The court's finding that Long acted with criminal intent based on his conscious decision to continue driving despite feeling resistance beneath his vehicle establishes a precedent that could influence future cases involving similar circumstances throughout the region.
