On Oct. 13, the Region 4 People’s Court of Vĩnh Long Province reopened the first-instance trial of the truck driver whose crash killed a 14-year-old schoolgirl, for the third time after two postponements and one rescheduling (Thanh Niên). Nearly 20 relatives of the victim attended; the defendant was helped into the courtroom by his parents and answered briefly when his background was verified (Dân trí). The victim’s family demanded compensation of more than VND 1.5 billion (Dân trí, Thanh Niên); VietNamNet says the defendant’s family did not agree. The procuracy proposed 1 year 6 months to 2 years 6 months in prison on the charge of violation of regulations on participation in road traffic (Dân trí, Tuổi Trẻ, VietNamNet). The victim’s lawyers asked for the file to be returned for supplementary investigation and for clarification of the “mystery person” sitting beside the driver (Dân trí, Thanh Niên). The trial panel extended its deliberations, with the verdict expected on the morning of Oct. 15 (Thanh Niên, one source).
The case involves the death of a very young schoolgirl and has been postponed many times, so how the court handles the request for supplementary investigation and the sentence will be seen by many as a yardstick for how fatal traffic accidents are judged.
For drivers, the legal consequences lie not only in the moment of collision but also in what follows, such as whether they stop to help and report to the authorities. For victims’ families, this case shows that a claim for civil compensation is raised right at the criminal trial.
The victim’s side holds that a proposal of 1 year 6 months to 2 years 6 months is not commensurate with a human life, and that points remain to be clarified, such as the person beside the driver and the failure to help, so supplementary investigation is needed.
The other view is that the procuracy proposed a sentence in line with the charge set out in the indictment, and that returning the file should be done only when important evidence is missing, because further delay is a burden on both families.
We treat a sentence as a result only once a verdict is handed down. On the morning of Oct. 15, two things are worth watching: whether the trial panel accepts the request to return the file, and whether it addresses the request to clarify the “mystery person.” The verdict date has only one source so far.
Thanh Niên, Dân trí, Tuổi Trẻ, VietNamNet, Tin tức 24h, VnExpress (Oct. 13, 2026)
Trial of truck driver over death of 14-year-old schoolgirl in Vĩnh Long: procuracy proposes 1 year 6 months to 2 years 6 months in prison, court extends deliberations
The third first-instance trial opened on the morning of Oct. 13 after two postponements and one rescheduling; the victim’s family demands more than VND 1.5 billion in compensation, and their lawyers ask for the file to be returned for supplementary investigation.
On the morning of Tuesday, Oct. 13, the Region 4 People’s Court of Vĩnh Long Province reopened the first-instance trial of the truck driver whose crash killed a 14-year-old schoolgirl. According to Thanh Niên, this was the third time the trial has opened, after two postponements and one rescheduling, and security around the court was tightened. Dân trí reports that nearly 20 relatives of the victim, identified as N.N.B.Tr., from Trà Côn commune, were at the court from after 8 a.m. The defendant, Nguyễn Văn Bảo Trung, named per Thanh Niên, was helped into the courtroom by his parents. Unlike the previous two sessions, when the presiding judge verified his background, the defendant answered some questions but only briefly, saying “yes,” “no” or shaking his head (Dân trí); VietNamNet reports that he walked with a limp. At the trial, the victim’s family demanded compensation of more than VND 1.5 billion (Dân trí, Thanh Niên), while VietNamNet says the defendant’s family did not agree to this amount. The articles we found do not give the reasons for the two earlier postponements.
After the questioning, the procuracy’s representative proposed a sentence of 1 year 6 months to 2 years 6 months in prison on the charge of violation of regulations on participation in road traffic (Dân trí); Tuổi Trẻ and VietNamNet give the maximum as 30 months. The victim’s side did not stop there. Dân trí reports that the lawyers asked for the file to be returned for supplementary investigation; if the trial panel accepts, the file would go back to the prosecuting authorities and the case would drag on. Thanh Niên says the lawyers also asked for clarification of the “mystery person” sitting beside the driver at the time of the crash, and of the failure to help the injured person. Tin tức 24h and VnExpress carry articles quoting a witness saying the driver “sat in the vehicle scolding” after the crash; we have seen only the headline, so we do not treat this as a fact established by the court. Late in the day, Thanh Niên wrote that after the tense courtroom arguments, the trial panel unexpectedly announced that deliberations would be extended and the verdict is expected on the morning of Oct. 15; we have not seen a second source for this date. The trial panel will have to decide two separate matters: whether to accept the request to return the file and, if the trial goes on, the sentence and the civil compensation the victim’s family demands. To be clear: the prison term above is the prosecution’s proposal, not a verdict, and the articles we found have not fully summarized how the crash unfolded, so we do not describe it further.