A female driver, whose car was towed with herself inside by traffic police in the southern Vietnamese province of Dong Nai on Tuesday morning, has threatened to sue the officers for wrongful charges.

Tran Thi Ha, 36, CEO of a company in Bien Hoa City, Dong Nai, has submitted several photos and recordings to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper relating to her encounter with traffic police on Tuesday.

The evidence indicated an argument between Ha and the officers, with the woman stating that the police’s behavior was “terrifying.”

Ha was pulled over by traffic police following traffic signal violations, and later had her car towed while she stayed put inside the vehicle.

According to the woman, she was stopped about 300 meters from her workplace after allegedly passing a yellow traffic light.

After Ha demanded visual evidence of her offense, one of the officers signaled with his baton, before Ha assumed that she was free to go.

“The police ordered me to stop as I reached the entrance to my company headquarters,” she recounted.

“I continued to request proof of my violation and later left the car to report my late arrival to my boss,” Ha stated.

As she returned to her vehicle, the female driver discovered she had lost her car key, resulting in a struggle between her and the officers as she tried to get in the car to find her key.

Ha’s automobile operates using a smart key, allowing the engine to start as long as the key is inside the vehicle, she said, adding that she later found out that the car key had been dropped somewhere on the street.

Police deal with Ha’s violations in front of her workplace. Photo courtesy of Ha’s supervisor.   

Regarding her refusal to step out of the vehicle, Ha explained she feared that someone who picked up her key would steal her property inside the car, including the car paperwork and her employee payroll of nearly VND1 billion (US$44,840).

“I stayed in my car and shouted to ask if anybody had found my key, but no one listened,” Ha said.

The officers eventually towed her car, believing she was disrespecting their orders, Ha continued.

She added that a by-stander returned her car key once the towing began.

“At the police station, nobody would accept the submission of my vehicle documents,” Ha recalled.

She was subsequently charged with six separate traffic violation, including failure to abide by traffic lights and traffic police, failing to produce a driver’s license when requested, driving a vehicle uninsured, driving without proper registration papers, and failure to produce other paperwork.   

Police affirmed she would only be responsible for the first two counts, asserting that the others were wrongful charges.

“I will file complaints and sue the officers for their decision,” He stressed.

According to an official from the local traffic police unit, Ha was penalized for six violations after she failed to present the documents at first.

 “Our officers also recorded the entire incident. We are willing to accept any complaint from the driver and resolve it in accordance with the law,” the official said.

Regarding the police towing the car with Ha inside, he stated that it was the last resort after the offender refused cooperate. 

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