In a collision, the tractor-trailer was torn in half, the train had to stop urgently, and a series of trains behind were affected.
In addition to the tractor-trailer being torn in half, the locomotive of the train was heavily damaged, and traffic in the area was chaotic.
More worryingly, this is not the only case.
A few days earlier, on the evening of February 25, train SE3 also collided with a truck at the intersection in Ngoc Hoi commune. The truck was crushed and thrown nearly 100m away. Two people died. One person was injured. The train locomotive was seriously damaged.
There are many other accidents, from cars, rudimentary vehicles to motorbikes.
The reason is that vehicles from the road cross the railway but do not comply with regulations or because the vehicle is damaged or stalled right on the tracks.
Railways are a transportation system with very clear principles, trains are always absolutely prioritized. Signal lights are turned on, warning bells sound and barriers are lowered, all vehicles must stop.
But many people still try to overcome it.
Overtaking to save a few dozen seconds, overtaking to avoid waiting, overtaking because they think the train is still far away. Just one wrong calculation, consequences immediately occur, sometimes human lives.
A train weighing hundreds of tons, running at a high speed that cannot brake as suddenly as a car. Even if the train driver sees an obstacle, it cannot handle it safely.
Railway accidents not only cause damage to one car, but also lead to chain reactions such as damaged locomotives, railway tracks being blocked, and a series of trains having to stop.
Train schedules on the entire North-South route are disrupted, thousands of passengers are affected, and transportation activities are disrupted. A personal violation can paralyze the entire traffic system.
It is worth mentioning that accidents of this type have been warned for many years, from the press, functional agencies to the railway industry.
There are signs, there are traffic lights, barriers have been installed in many places, but accidents still happen. That is because many drivers disregard regulations, see gaps and rush through.
According to the law, road vehicles when crossing railways are required to comply with warning signals.
Violations may be subject to administrative penalties, even criminal prosecution if causing serious consequences.
But if fines are light and deterrence is not strong enough, violations will still recur. Drivers who cause accidents are not only responsible for casualties.
When the cause of the accident is determined to be the driver, they also have to compensate for all damages to the railway industry, locomotives, train cars, infrastructure and damages due to transport disruption.
We cannot let the entire national transportation system bear the consequences for those who disregard the law.
