The car driven by traffic policeman Thai Van Hung is damaged after he crashed
and killed a motorbike driver in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province on July 6, 2019.
Photo by VnExpress/Duc Chau.

Police in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau are investigating a fatal hit-and-run accident allegedly caused by a traffic police officer last Saturday.

Major Thai Van Hung, 37, of the Chau Duc District traffic police was driving his personal car on National Highway 56 when he crashed from behind into a motorbike ridden by Duong Van Tot, 54.

Tot died on the spot but Hung fled the scene.

After driving for a few kilometers he drove his car into a roadside tree. He broke his arm and is being treated at a hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, a Chau Duc police officer said.

Locals suspect he was drunk, but it has not been confirmed by authorities. A CCTV camera captured the accident.

Traffic incidents involving police officers and government officials usually attract plenty of attention.

Last month a traffic cop in the southern province of Binh Duong ran a police car over a sidewalk, killing a fruit vendor. Also last month a Thanh Hoa officer was suspended after a driving accident in which he killed two women and injured an infant.

Road crashes are a leading cause of death in Vietnam, with one person dying almost every hour. More than 18,720 accidents occurred in 2018, killing 8,244 people and injuring nearly 14,800, according to the National Traffic Safety Committee.