5 killed, 9 injured in road accident in central Vietnam

Fourteen people in the same family from To Von Village in Gia Lai Province were traveling on an improvised farm vehicle after harvesting coffee when their motorized cart was rear-ended by another truck that carried woods.

All people on the farm cart were thrown off by the force of the collision.

The farm vehicle was torn in half and its front was dragged for another two kilometers as the truck driver panicked.

He also ran away from the scene after causing the accident.

After hearing a loud noise from the crash, those living nearby rushed outside and saw many bodies lying on the ground, according to witnesses.

The victims were quickly taken to the hospital, four of whom were dead on arrival and one passed away later at the infirmary, with nine others in a critical condition.

Authorities in Gai Lai have provided VND5 million (US$222) in support for the families of the deceased and VND3 million ($133) for those of the injured.

One day after the accident, the truck driver, 29-year-old Cao Dai Trong, turned himself in to police officers, saying that his vehicle was traveling at around 70km per hour.

His vision was blocked by the direct headlights from the vehicles traveling in the opposite direction, causing him to be unaware of the farm cart ahead, Trong said.

Motorized farm carts, which are unregistered and heavily modified vehicles often without lights, horns and signals, are very popular in Vietnam’s rural areas.

Though most drivers are farmers and do not have driver’s licenses, these vehicles are commonly used to carry large amounts of goods and people, posing high risk of accidents.

Earlier this year, two people were killed and nine hospitalized after an accident involving the dangerous vehicle in Gia Lai.