Brian Jeffrey
Authorities have concluded that the tragic death of 14-year-old Nguyen Ngoc Bao Tran resulted from a truck driver’s reckless overtaking maneuver. A criminal case has now been launched.
On May 7, Colonel Phan Ngoc Tinh, the Deputy Director and spokesperson for the Vinh Long Provincial Police, announced that the investigation unit has opened a case for “violating road traffic regulations,” based on Clause 1, Article 260 of the Penal Code.
This incident arises from a severe traffic accident that occurred on the morning of September 4, 2024, at Km08 of provincial road 901, resulting in the death of student Nguyen Ngoc Bao Tran.
The case led to widespread media coverage, not only because of the young victim but also due to the tragic sequence of events following the accident. On April 28, Tran’s father, Nguyen Vinh Phuc (43), shot the truck driver Nguyen Van Bao Trung (33), before taking his own life. Both men died at the scene.
The Supreme People’s Procuracy’s Criminal Investigation Department is examining whether there were any failings in the initial inquiry, particularly if authorities deliberately avoided holding the responsible party accountable.
Upon re-evaluating the facts, investigators confirmed that driver Trung had engaged in unsafe overtaking, crossing into the opposite lane, which directly led to Tran’s fatal incident.
Errors in the case’s initial handling by district authorities were also acknowledged.
Following Tran’s death, local investigative bodies were divided regarding culpability.
The district police initially found that the schoolgirl bore significant responsibility for failing to scan her surroundings and violating Article 8, Clause 23 of the Road Traffic Law.
In contrast, the district Procuracy and Court determined that driver Trung was wholly at fault for the hazardous overtaking, and Tran’s inattention constituted only a minor infraction.
Lacking agreement, Tra On police escalated the matter to provincial authorities. The provincial investigation office (PC01) and the provincial Procuracy reviewed the details, concluding that Tran, riding her e-bike, did not maintain a proper distance, attributing primary fault to her.
On December 23, 2024, the Vinh Long police department affirmed the PC01 and provincial findings.
On December 26, 2024, Tra On police issued a decision to not prosecute, claiming “the responsible party had died.”
On January 7, 2025, Mr. Phuc appealed for the annulment of this decision, seeking a thorough investigation into the incident.
On January 17, 2025, the Tra On district Procuracy reversed the non-prosecution decision.
However, just days later, on January 23, Tra On police issued another non-prosecution decree, stating “no criminal act had occurred.”
Phuc continued to file complaints, but these were consistently rejected at the district level. On February 21, he escalated the matter to provincial authorities, arguing the decisions lacked objectivity.
On March 14, Nguyen Thanh Truc, head of the Vinh Long provincial Procuracy, dismissed Phuc’s claims, standing by earlier decisions.
On April 28, Phuc took drastic action, fatally shooting driver Trung before taking his own life.
This prompted directives from the Ministry of Public Security for a full investigation into the shooting and a reassessment of the original traffic accident case.
On April 29, the Ministry’s criminal investigation team retrieved the full case file, leading to a determination to proceed against driver Trung for violating traffic laws under Article 260 of the Penal Code (2015).
Consequently, the ministry requested that the Supreme People’s Procuracy nullify the previous dismissals and reopen the case.
On May 2, 2025, the Procurator General of the Supreme People’s Procuracy officially overturned earlier dismissal decisions from February, ensuring the case would be reassigned to an appropriate investigative body.
On May 3, the head of the Vinh Long Provincial Procuracy annulled the non-prosecution decision from January 23.
The Vinh Long Provincial Police have now redirected their investigative unit to re-examine the traffic accident that led to the fatality of Nguyen Ngoc Bao Tran.
