Brake failure ruled out as cause of fatal truck accident near Da Lat

Authorities in Lam Dong Province, located in Vietnam’s Central Highlands, have announced that the steering system and brakes on a truck which caused a serious accident leaving five people dead were working normally.

The provincial Department of Transport released the findings of their technical inspection of a truck that crashed into multiple vehicles in Duc Trong District, about 25 kilometers from the provincial resort city of Da Lat, on Monday morning.

The inspection showed that the vehicle’s steering system and brakes were in normal conditions, ruling out brake failure and loss of control as causes of the accident.

The front left tire of the truck also exploded after striking an object on the road.

The crash happened at around 8:20 am along the section of National Highway 20 in Duc Trong when 28-year-old driver Tran Trong Tinh hit a motorbike, injuring two people. 

A crane picks up the truck after the accident. Photo: Tuoi Tre

The truck then continued for another one and a half kilometers before flipping on its side and sliding down the street, slamming into four cars, three motorbikes, and some nearby houses, killing Tinh and four others.

Information from the black box previously showed that the truck was traveling at 73km per hour before hitting the first motorcycle, and sped up to 97km before turning on its side. 

The speed limit on the road is only 50km per hour.

The truck was carrying 19 metric tons of fertilizer, while the maximum weight allowed on the street is 14 metric tons.

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