Vietnam police confirm ex-politician spared charges over crash that killed teen in Hanoi

A former Vietnamese politician inadvertently caused the death of a teenager in a traffic accident in Hanoi last year, but was not prosecuted, a police officer revealed on state television, according to a report on Monday. The disclosure came days after people started leaving flowers at the site of the accident last May, which dissident and youth groups treated as a protest in the tightly controlled communist nation.

Authorities claimed the incident was manipulated by "hostile forces." Videos on social media show uniformed personnel preventing others from placing flowers at the scene. The driver, Nguyen Sy Cuong, is a former deputy chairman of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs Committee and the husband of a current government minister.

This was the first official acknowledgment of his role in the accident, following months of allegations circulating online.

During a recent visit to the site, reporters observed only scattered flower petals near the tree where the accident occurred. Plainclothes officers appeared to be observing the area from across the street. Police and the victim's father both cited the online attention surrounding the incident. The Ministry of Public Security stated in a report that "hostile and reactionary forces" had deliberately combined isolated incidents, along with several other cases, to sway and disrupt public order and security.

The police investigation, supported by prosecutors, found that Cuong had struck a motorbike while driving in the wrong lane. He tested negative for alcohol and admitted responsibility for the accident. The investigating agency determined that Cuong had violated road-traffic regulations, but exempted him from criminal liability due to mitigating factors, stated Colonel Nguyen Duc Long, the deputy chief of the Hanoi police, on state television.

The victim's family, whose identity was not disclosed, withdrew their complaint, according to Colonel Long in the television report. The father, Do Viet Hung, expressed gratitude for the online community's concern about the incident and the family's resolution. His face was not shown. His daughter, Do Ngoc Phuong Thuy, was 18 when she died, as reported in a public funeral notice.