People collect the lychees from the overturned truck.
Speaking to Dantri/Dtinews on July 8, Bui Thi Lich, 38, from Phu Tho Province, said that following the accident in which more than four tonnes of lychees spilt onto the road and were picked up by passersby, her family received dozens of calls and bank transfers from the public.
"We left a sign at the site of the overturned truck that read, 'I'm the owner of the lychee truck that overturned on July 6. I had an accident. If possible, could you help me recover the lost fruit? Thank you very much.' After that, many strangers called to express support and transferred money to my account," Lich said emotionally.
According to her, around VND 40 million in donations came in within a single day.
She plans to visit the bank later on July 8 to obtain a detailed statement of donations and publicly thank everyone who supported her.
"I injured my hand in the accident and had to visit the hospital this morning. That's why I could only go to the bank this afternoon," she added.
The accident occurred around 11 pm on July 6 while Lich and two relatives were driving a truck full of lychees from Bac Giang to Hanoi. The driver reportedly fell asleep at the wheel, causing the vehicle to veer off the road and overturn in Thanh Oai Commune.
"The accident happened late at night, near a cemetery and far from any residential area. We were so frightened that we called a tow truck and immediately left with it to the garage without staying to guard the goods," Lich recalled.
By early morning, dozens of people arrived on motorbikes with sacks and began collecting the fruit.
"When I returned to the scene, I saw many people taking the lychees. I tried to explain that it was our cargo, but it was noisy, and no one seemed to hear me. So all the fruits, valued at some VND 28-30 million, were taken or damaged." she said.
After the story spread on social media and in the press, Lich received messages of sympathy and support, with many members of the public launching fundraising efforts on her behalf.