HAGL Club Driver: 'In just 5 seconds, the car was sandwiched between 2 trucks'

Suddenly hit from behind, Mr. Nguyen Tu Sinh, 57 years old, just turned to look in the rearview mirror when immediately the car carrying 3 members of HAGL Club was tightly sandwiched between two trucks, deformed.

On August 13, Mr. Nguyen Tu Sinh, the driver who transported 3 members of Hoang Anh Gia Lai Club (HAGL) - who was lucky to escape death in the traffic accident on Highway 14 yesterday afternoon, is still being treated at Gia Lai General Hospital. Doctors determined that he had broken his shoulder and ribs. Occasionally turning over, the wound caused driver Sinh to ache and grimace. His wife sat next to him with a worried face.

Driver Nguyen Tu Sinh is being treated at Gia Lai General Hospital. Photo: Tran Hoa — Driver Nguyen Tu Sinh is being treated at Gia Lai General Hospital. Photo: *Tran Hoa*

After more than 13 years of driving for HAGL Club, Mr. Sinh said he has never had any accidents, even small ones. Yesterday morning, this driver was assigned to go from Pleiku City (Gia Lai) to Buon Ma Thuot Airport (Dak Lak) to pick up a group of 3 people from HAGL Club who had just returned from a match in Nghe An.

At noon, after picking up assistant coach Duong Minh Ninh, 48 years old; Portuguese striker Paollo Oliveira, 27 years old and doctor Dao Trong Tri, 29 years old, all four had lunch in Buon Ma Thuot city before departing for Pleiku city.

Driver Sinh recalled that on the bus, everyone talked a lot about matches, work, family and plans to help develop the club. It was planned that when arriving in Pleiku City, he would take Dr. Tri to the bus stop to get home in An Khe Town (Gia Lai Province). After that, the bus continued to take assistant coach Duong Minh Ninh and striker Paollo Madeira Oliveir to their private homes.

The 5-seat car carrying HAGL Club members was deformed and lying between the two ends of the truck. Photo: Tran Hoa — The 5-seat car carrying HAGL Club members was deformed and lying between the two ends of the truck. Photo: *Tran Hoa*

At around 3 p.m., when the HAGL Club's car reached Tao Chor village, Ia Hru commune, Chu Puh district, it was suddenly hit from behind by a gravel truck driven by Dinh Tien Binh, 36, traveling in the same direction. Panicking, Mr. Sinh lost control of the steering wheel, was forced to the left lane, and was then hit by another truck traveling in the opposite direction. "The accident happened in just 5 seconds," Mr. Sinh said.

The driver, who has been driving for HAGL for more than 13 years, said that he still does not understand why such a serious incident happened. When he saw the car hit the back of his car, Mr. Sinh only had time to look in the mirror to see what was happening, but immediately after that, the car was crushed, sandwiched between the two ends of the truck.

People nearby used hydraulic jacks to lift the truck, tied chains to the door, and used a tractor to break the door of the HAGL Club car to get the victims out. Because the car was stuck between the two trucks, it took an hour to complete the rescue. The accident killed 3 members of the Hoang Anh Gia Lai Club on the spot. Mr. Sinh was lucky to escape and was transferred to Gia Lai General Hospital.

Accident scene on the afternoon of August 12. Photo: Tran Hoa — Accident scene on the afternoon of August 12. Photo: *Tran Hoa*

According to the Gia Lai Provincial Traffic Safety Committee, the results of the quick test showed that the two truck drivers, Binh and Xon, did not use drugs and had no alcohol concentration. Both the truck and the car were still under inspection, and the drivers had full driving licenses as required. Data from the vehicle tracking device of the truck driven by Binh recorded the speed at 55 km/h just before hitting the car.

Assistant coach Duong Minh Ninh has been with HAGL for more than 20 years. He used to play for HAGL as a striker when the team was still playing in the First Division. Striker Paollo Madeira Oliveir, a Portuguese national, used to play for Hong Linh Ha Tinh Club. After the 2022 season, this player decided to join HAGL. Dao Trong Tri is a young doctor taking care of the health of the mountain town team.