Car accident plunged into river: Due to sudden steering, braking or wrong accelerator?

At around 6pm on December 14, a Hyundai i10 was travelling on Dong Nai Bridge from Binh Duong Province to Dong Nai. When it was almost to the end of the bridge, the car suddenly lost control, broke the iron railing and plunged into the river. The driver, a 22-year-old woman, died. According to her family, before the accident, she had spoken to her relatives on the phone saying she was on her way home.

On the morning of December 15, the car was recovered almost completely deformed, the front bumper and grille were crushed. The windows were shattered, the interior was flooded with water and mud; the roof was severely dented by the impact of the collision and sank into the river. The girl’s body was still clutching the steering wheel.

To date, no video from the security camera or the vehicle's dash cam recording the accident at that time has been shared. Some news channels said that, startled by the car in front braking, the girl suddenly braked and swerved, causing the car to fly into the railing and fall into the river. Some opinions suspect that the victim may have mistakenly stepped on the gas pedal.

Therefore, the online community is still quite vague about the details and the reason why the car climbed from the road surface to the sidewalk and plunged into the Dong Nai River. However, according to driving instructors, there are many driving skills lessons from this incident.

Mr. Dang Duc Van (a driving instructor at Dong Do Driving Training Center) said: “This is not a rare accident but it is a valuable lesson for drivers. Situations where the car in front brakes suddenly happen quite often on the road, but many students, especially female students, often lose their composure.”

“For female students who are studying for a driver’s license or taking a refresher course, I often instruct them on how to sit comfortably while driving to achieve the calmest and most focused state when holding the steering wheel. When their mentality is stable, they will be able to handle emergency situations more quickly, thereby ensuring safety for themselves and those around them,” he shared.

He added: “In a situation where the vehicle in front brakes suddenly, the driver should quickly observe the rearview mirror and the surrounding space to find an escape route if necessary, such as the curb or an empty lane. However, the driver must also note the important principle of not turning the wheel suddenly, because it can cause the vehicle to lose control or overturn, causing more unpredictable consequences.”

“In addition to emergency handling skills, I think the most important thing every driver should remember, especially female drivers, is to always control their speed and distance. This habit helps reduce the risk of encountering sudden braking situations.”

Returning to the incident, many opinions say that the young female driver lost her temper, possibly mistaking the brake pedal for the accelerator pedal instead of suddenly braking and turning the steering wheel as some sources reported. Currently, the authorities have not yet made an official conclusion on the cause of this accident. It is known that the female driver's family is also calling on the driving community to share images from the dash cam at the time of the accident on Dong Nai bridge if available.