A traffic police officer in Vietnam’s Central Highlands has been injured after a speeding van carrying contraband wood crashed into a police truck in an attempt to escape.

Three suspects in the van have been arrested after deliberately slamming their vehicle into the police vehicle, Colonel Phan Thanh Tam, director of the Department of Police in Gia Lai Province, confirmed to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Sunday morning.

The incident happened on Saturday afternoon, when officers detected a 12-seater automobile suspected of transporting illicit pine wood in Kong Chro Town.

The van was driven by 33-year-old Nguyen Thanh Hung. Dinh H Bap, 15, and Pham Minh Khanh, 29, were also in the vehicle at the time.

Law enforcement officers first signaled for the vehicle to pull over, but the suspects did not comply with the request and sped away.

A team of traffic policemen was then tasked with blocking the road with a specialized truck.

The van, however, did not slow down and ended up crashing into the police vehicle.

Two officers managed to dodge the speeding car, but their comrade, Captain Nguyen Dinh Nha, who was standing behind the police truck, was thrown to the side of the street by the force of the collision.

Nha suffered a back injury and was admitted to the hospital for emergency treatment.

The van was on its side following the crash, and the three suspects, who were not injured, were apprehended on the spot.

Preliminary information showed that Hung, the driver, had tested positive for drugs.

According to Col. Tam, Hung can be charged for attempted murder if investigators are able to gather sufficient evidence.

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