In Vietnam, passenger vandalizes car as Grab driver asks him not to smoke

A video of the incident later circulated widely on social media.

The nearly-two-minute clip began spreading online on Friday, showing a heated argument between a driver and a passenger that escalated into physical violence.

According to the footage, the passenger approached the vehicle, opened the door, and sat in the front seat while holding a lit cigarette.

The driver asked the passenger to finish smoking before getting in the car.

The request was met with profanity, and the passenger demanded that the driver roll down the window so he could continue smoking inside.

The driver refused, explaining that cigarette smoke would linger in the car and affect next customers.

Unable to reach an agreement, the driver asked the passenger to get out of the vehicle.

However, the passenger used his helmet to smash the car’s electronic display, and then struck the driver on the head with the helmet.

The driver, identified as Nguyen Thanh Huy, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that the incident occurred at around 5:30 pm on Thursday in the Mieu Bong area of Hoa Xuan Ward, Da Nang City.

At the time, he had just accepted a Grab booking located about 500 meters from his home.

Huy recalled that the passenger not only shattered the car’s display screen and damaged a rear-view mirror, but also used a lit cigarette to burn a hole in the seat.

He said that the passenger lives in the same ward and continued to behave aggressively even after leaving the car.

“Despite many people trying to stop him, he kept rushing in to attack me. Even when my family members arrived, he still threatened to assault them,” he said.

He then filed a report with police officers.

Authorities in Hoa Xuan Ward are verifying the incident to handle the case.