5th victim dies in head-on bus collision on Highway 20

Dong Nai Ms. Pham Thi Mot, 45 years old, died in the hospital one day after a tragic accident between two passenger buses on Highway 20 in Dinh Quan district.

On the morning of October 1, Ms. Mot, one of the four victims admitted to Dong Nai General Hospital, passed away due to severe injuries. She was previously hospitalized in a coma, suffering from hemorrhagic shock due to bleeding from a head wound, a contused left lung, a broken spine... with a poor prognosis.

The scene of the accident between two passenger buses, morning of October 30. Photo: Thai Ha — The scene of the accident between two passenger buses, morning of October 30. Photo: *Thai Ha*

Ms. Mot took her daughter Nguyen Thi Huyen, 18 years old, to Ho Chi Minh City to enroll in a college, taking a 16-seat car of Hai Dang bus company from Da Kai commune, Duc Linh district (Binh Thuan) in the early morning of September 30. When the car reached Highway 20, Dinh Quan district (Dong Nai), it crashed into a Thanh Buoi sleeper bus carrying 32 passengers to Da Lat.

The accident left four people (including the driver) in the 16-seat vehicle dead on the spot. Ms. Mot and her children along with three others were injured, one of whom was taken to Cho Ray Hospital (HCMC).

According to Dr. Nguyen Xuan Hoang, Head of the Emergency Department of Dong Nai General Hospital, Huyen suffered from subdural hematoma in the right hemisphere, intraventricular hemorrhage, facial fracture, and leg injury. The other two victims at this hospital are still in quite serious condition.

Location of the accident. Graphics: Dang Hieu — Location of the accident. Graphics: *Dang Hieu*

From the dashcam images, Dong Nai police determined that the accident was caused by Thanh Buoi passenger car recklessly overtaking, so they initiated a criminal case and detained the driver to investigate the crime of violating road traffic regulations. According to data collected from the management agency, both vehicles were speeding before the collision.

Working with the National Traffic Safety Committee on the evening of September 30, Colonel Tran Anh Son, Deputy Director of Dong Nai Provincial Police, said that this was the second accident in the past two months involving Thanh Buoi passenger vans on National Highway 20. In July, the driver of this bus company was determined to have illegally overtaken, causing an accident that killed two people in Thong Nhat District. Since the beginning of 2023, Dong Nai Police have fined the company's passenger vans 8 times for speeding violations.