Tran Xuan Thuy, a 42-year-old driver from Nghi Van Commune (Nghi Loc District, Nghe An), is under criminal investigation after causing four consecutive traffic accidents across three districts, leaving one person dead and three others injured. His blood alcohol concentration at the time was recorded at 0.979 mg/l of breath - more than 2.4 times the highest punishable limit under Vietnamese law.

The Central Highlands province’s police reported that the incidents occurred on the evening of April 4, shortly after Thuy had consumed a significant amount of alcohol during a gathering with friends.

A reckless rampage through three districts

At around 5:00 p.m., Thuy began driving a car with license plate 37A-482.52 on a commune road in Nghi Trung (Nghi Loc District). In his intoxicated state, he crashed into a parked vehicle, damaging its headlight and license plate before fleeing the scene at high speed.

Nguyen Thi Linh, a local resident, recalled hearing a loud crash while eating dinner. "The parked car was dented, and half of its license plate had fallen off. I checked my security camera but couldn’t catch the culprit’s plate number - it all happened so fast."

Not long after, Thuy’s car struck a 63-year-old cyclist, Nguyen Thi Bac, in Nghi Lien (Vinh City), causing shoulder injuries.

“I heard a vehicle coming and slowed down to let it pass, thinking it was a truck. Suddenly the car slammed into me,” she recounted. Witnesses initially assumed the driver would stop to assist, but instead, Thuy sped away again.

As he continued to flee, one of his front tires exploded. Yet, he drove on, dragging the bare metal rim along the road surface, which created a trail of sparks and panic among bystanders.

Enraged by his actions, some locals attempted to pursue him on motorbikes, but the speeding car quickly vanished from sight.

At approximately 6:45 p.m., near Hung Tay Commune (Hung Nguyen District), Thuy struck another motorbike driven by 22-year-old Đinh Thị Phương, who was taken to the hospital with injuries.

Tragically, the final and most severe accident occurred roughly 30 minutes later. Thuy’s vehicle crashed into Nguyễn Đức Thịnh, a 32-year-old motorcyclist, who died at the scene.

A young family left behind

Thịnh’s mother, Le Thi H., shared that her son had a three-year-old child and came from a financially struggling household. He had just left home to visit his brother-in-law, intending to prepare for a job the next day, when the fatal crash occurred.

Even after the fourth crash, Thuy continued to drive over 12 more kilometers on National Highway 46B with a blown tire, before being stopped by residents in Xuan Hoa Commune (Nam Dan District).

On April 5, Nghe An police officially launched a criminal investigation under charges of "violating traffic participation regulations causing serious consequences."

During questioning, Thuy admitted to drinking heavily with friends earlier in the day and driving home under the influence when the accidents occurred.

His blood alcohol content of 0.979 mg/l exceeded the maximum penalty threshold of 0.4 mg/l, highlighting the severity of his offense and raising serious concerns about drunk driving enforcement.

Thien Luong