Local authorities in Xuan Que Commune, Dong Nai Province, said the fatal accident occurred at 0.14 am near a rest stop on the Ho Chi Minh City-Long Thanh-Dau Giay Expressway.
The 12-seat ambulance, driven by a male driver, was travelling on the access road into the rest stop when it slammed into the rear of a semi trailer truck that was parked on the entrance slope.
The ambulance catches fire following the crash with a parked container truck on Long Thanh-Dau Giay Expressway on December 18.
After the heavy impact, the ambulance caught fire. Five people were on board. Two, including Vo Van Huan, 75, and Nguyen Thi Thanh Ha, 52, managed to escape and were taken to Long Khanh General Hospital. Three others were trapped and died in the blaze, including patient Nguyen Thi Lan Anh, 62, Vo Van Nghia, 30, and the ambulance driver from Cho Ray Hospital, whose identity has not yet been confirmed.
Initial assessments suggest the crash may have been caused by the ambulance driver failing to keep a proper lookout, showing signs of drowsiness and travelling at high speed after entering the rest stop area.
The scene of the accident.
Dong Nai authorities are continuing to investigate the cause of the accident.
The Ho Chi Minh City-Long Thanh-Dau Giay Expressway is 55 km long with four lanes and two emergency lanes, and has been in operation since 2015. It is a key transport artery linking Ho Chi Minh City with the southeast region and currently carries the heaviest traffic volume in southern Vietnam, averaging 60,000 to 70,000 vehicles a day.
