Group of "speed demons" racing on Saigon bridge sentenced

Recently, the People's Court of Binh Thanh District (HCMC) sentenced 36 defendants for organizing and cheering on racing on Saigon Bridge. Of these, 22 defendants were between the ages of 17 and 19.

At court, defendants Quach Tuan Anh (born in 2004, residing in District 4), Tran Doan The Hai (born in 2003, residing in Binh Thanh District, both masterminds) and their accomplices admitted to the crimes as stated in the indictment. Defendant Tuan Anh also stated that from July to August 2023, he had organized illegal car races 5 times. Some of the remaining defendants also stated that they had participated in car races and cheered on car races many times with the thought that "car racing does not result in imprisonment".

The panel of judges determined that Saigon Bridge is a vital traffic route with a very large volume of traffic. The reckless behavior of Quach Tuan Anh (born in 2004) and his accomplices not only disrupted public order but also posed a serious threat to traffic safety, the lives and property of others.

Accordingly, the panel sentenced defendants Tuan Anh and The Hai to 1 year and 3 months in prison for the crime of “Disturbing public order”. The remaining defendants were sentenced to 6-18 months in prison with suspended sentences and 6-9 months of non-custodial reform for the same crime.

According to the indictment, on the evening of August 15, 2023, Tuan Anh texted Hai and several other people to join a race to see "whose car is stronger?". After the invitation, the people informed a closed group on social media and gathered to compete in speed.

This group announced that they would gather in front of a convenience store in District 1 (HCMC). There, Tuan Anh and nearly 50 "crazy drivers" drove modified vehicles to Nguyen Huu Canh Street (near the foot of Saigon Bridge, Ward 22, Binh Thanh District) where 10 other "modified drivers" joined the group.

The group then split into two small groups. The first group had 8 individuals directly participating in the race, while the other group ran after them, cheering and using their phones to film. The reckless group of “speed demons” entered the car lane on Saigon Bridge, speeding at speeds of up to 120 km/h.

Group of "speed demons" at the police station

While the group was racing on Saigon Bridge down to Hanoi Highway (now Vo Nguyen Giap Street, Thu Duc City), they were stopped by the Traffic Police Department (PC08, Ho Chi Minh City Police) and Binh Thanh District Police. At the scene, the authorities detained 38 speeders and 37 motorbikes of various types. Through investigation, the group of "speeders" confessed to racing 3 times on the bridge.

During the investigation, with the group of subjects (people under 16 years old) sitting in the back of the car, participating in cheering for the race for the first time, Binh Thanh District Police issued a decision to administratively sanction the act of "Gathering to cheer for illegal racing"; at the same time, notify the local authorities to manage and educate according to regulations.

In 23 cases, the car owners handed over the car to people who were not qualified to drive, violating the provisions of Clause 1, Article 58 of the Road Traffic Law, the police decided to impose administrative penalties on 22 cases. In the case of people with unknown backgrounds participating in the race, the district police will continue to verify and investigate, and when they are clear, they will propose to handle them later.

HOANG HIEU

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/nhom-quai-xe-dua-xe-tren-cau-sai-gon-linh-an-post744951.html