Suspected scrap collector invades Ho Chi Minh City expressway, nearly causes disaster with metal bar

The incident on the Ho Chi Minh City-Long Thanh-Dau Giay Expressway came to light after a video showing a car being struck by a metal bar protruding into the road circulated on social media on Sunday.

The footage showed a woman apparently pulling the metal bar from an area where construction work was underway to expand the expressway, causing it to strike the passing car.

Later that evening, V.V., 41, a resident of Dong Thap Province in the Mekong Delta, confirmed that he was driving the car involved in the incident shown in the video.

According to V., at around 12:07 pm that day, he was driving his family from Ho Chi Minh City to their home in Dong Thap along the expressway's section in the city's Long Truong Ward when a metal bar suddenly protruded into the traffic lane and scraped the side of his vehicle.

The collision left a scratch nearly one meter long on the car, he said.

After the collision, V. stopped to inspect the damage and speak with the woman involved.

However, she quickly got back on her motorbike, taking a bundle of metal bars with her, and left the scene. V. got back into his car and tried to follow her but failed to catch up.

V. said he was relieved that the incident had not resulted in serious consequences. 

However, he expressed concern that motorcyclists and pedestrians entering the expressway, as well as people removing construction materials and bringing them into traffic lanes, could cause dangerous accidents.

"I am concerned about motorcyclists and pedestrians appearing on the expressway, as vehicles travel at high speeds. If drivers cannot react in time, the consequences could be extremely serious," he said.

The Expressway Traffic Police Team No. 6, under the Traffic Police Department at the Ministry of Public Security, is coordinating with relevant units to verify the incident, track down the woman and take action in accordance with regulations.