Investigators have determined that the death of 14-year-old Nguyen Ngoc Bao Tran was caused by a truck driver's unsafe overtaking maneuver. A criminal case has now been officially opened.

On May 7, Colonel Phan Ngoc Tinh, Deputy Director and spokesperson for the Vinh Long Provincial Police Department, announced that the provincial criminal investigation agency had issued a decision to initiate a criminal case for “violating road traffic regulations” under Clause 1, Article 260 of the Penal Code.

The case stems from a tragic traffic accident on the morning of September 4, 2024, at Km08 of provincial road 901 (Vinh Loi hamlet, Vinh Xuan commune, Tra On district, Vinh Long province), which resulted in the death of schoolgirl Nguyen Ngoc Bao Tran.

The incident gained national attention, not only due to the young victim but also because of its tragic aftermath. On April 28, the girl’s father, Nguyen Vinh Phuc (43), shot truck driver Nguyen Van Bao Trung (33), then turned the gun on himself. Both men died.

The Supreme People’s Procuracy’s Criminal Investigation Department launched an inquiry into possible misconduct during the initial investigation - specifically whether authorities had intentionally avoided prosecuting the at-fault party or neglected their legal responsibilities.

Upon re-investigation, the provincial criminal investigation agency confirmed that Trung, the truck driver, had overtaken another vehicle in an unsafe manner, encroaching into the opposite lane, which directly caused Tran’s death.

Investigators also acknowledged errors by the district-level prosecution and police in how the case was initially handled.

Case developments and investigation timeline

After Tran’s death, the investigative and judicial agencies in Tra On district were divided over who was at fault.

The Tra On district police initially concluded that the schoolgirl was primarily responsible for not observing her surroundings and violating Article 8, Clause 23 of the Road Traffic Law.

However, the district People’s Procuracy and People’s Court believed that driver Trung was fully at fault for the unsafe overtaking, while Tran’s lack of attention was only an administrative violation.

Due to the lack of consensus, Tra On police reported the case to the provincial authorities. The provincial investigation office (PC01) and the provincial People’s Procuracy reviewed the evidence and the scene. PC01 still determined that Tran, who was riding an e-bike, failed to keep a safe distance and thus bore primary responsibility.

On December 23, 2024, the Vinh Long police department sent an official response upholding the PC01 and provincial procuracy’s assessment.

On December 26, 2024, Tra On police issued Decision 760, declining to prosecute, stating that “the person responsible had died.”

On January 7, 2025, Mr. Phuc filed a complaint requesting that the decision be annulled, demanding a thorough investigation into the crash and accountability for all involved.

On January 17, 2025, the Tra On district Procuracy overturned Decision 760.

However, on January 23, Tra On police again issued a non-prosecution order, Decision 73, citing “no criminal act had occurred.”

Phuc continued to file complaints, all of which were rejected at the district level. On February 21, he appealed to the provincial level, arguing that the decision lacked objectivity and ignored the facts.

On March 14, Nguyen Thanh Truc, head of the Vinh Long provincial Procuracy, dismissed Phuc’s complaint, reaffirming the district’s prior rulings.

On April 28, Phuc used a gun to kill driver Trung and then took his own life.

In response, the Ministry of Public Security ordered a full investigation into the shooting and a comprehensive review of the traffic accident case.

On April 29, the Ministry’s criminal investigation office retrieved the entire case file for evaluation. Investigators determined there were grounds to prosecute driver Trung for violating traffic regulations under Article 260 of the Penal Code (2015).

The ministry formally requested that the Supreme People’s Procuracy annul all previous decisions dismissing the case and reopen the investigation.

On May 2, 2025, the Procurator General of the Supreme People’s Procuracy officially overturned the complaint decisions issued on February 10 and February 14 by the district and provincial authorities, respectively.

He also instructed the Vinh Long provincial Procuracy to annul the January 23 decision not to prosecute, and to transfer the case to a competent investigative body.

On May 3, the head of the Vinh Long Provincial Procuracy officially voided the January 23 non-prosecution decision (Decision 73/QD-DTTH).

Vinh Long Provincial Police have now tasked their investigative office with re-investigating the traffic accident that resulted in the death of schoolgirl Nguyen Ngoc Bao Tran.

Dam De