Nha Trang hotel staff probed for renting motorbike to drunk Russian, leading to fatal crash
A 51-year-old hotel receptionist in Nha Trang is facing charges after allegedly renting a motorbike to an intoxicated Russian tourist who subsequently struck and killed a pedestrian.
Investigators in Nha Trang, Vietnam are probing hotel staff for a controversial act: renting a motorbike to a potentially unqualified driver, resulting in a tragic accident. The central Vietnamese resort town is currently under a travel ban for Le Thi Hai Anh, who is accused of violating Article 264 of Vietnam's Penal Code by providing a vehicle to an unsuitable driver.
The victim of this incident was a Russian national, Smoliakov, who was driving the rented motorbike back to the hotel on May 4. His perilous journey took a tragic turn when he lost control of the vehicle and collided with a woman in her 70s as she crossed Tran Phu Street, a busy coastal road in Nha Trang. Alas, the elderly woman succumbed to her injuries.
Smoliakov was promptly arrested after medical tests revealed an alarming blood alcohol content of 268.8 milligrams per 100 milliliters of blood. Upon further investigation, it emerged that Anh had rented the motorbike to Smoliakov, despite her awareness of his lack of a valid driver's license and his failure to meet other legal requirements to operate the vehicle in Vietnam.
In light of this incident, local police have urged businesses renting motorbikes to foreign visitors to adopt stringent measures for verifying their customers' credentials. They have also reminded rental operators to ensure tourists possess the legal qualifications and understanding of Vietnam's traffic laws before handing over any vehicles.
Written by urgent.news from VnExpress International's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
