A foreign motorbike rider and a Vietnamese ride-hailing driver reconciled and forgave each other following a traffic collision in Ho Chi Minh City last week, with assistance from local traffic police.

The municipal Traffic Police Department facilitated a reconciliation session on Thursday involving N.V.T., a 34-year-old local man, and Tom H.N., a 53-year-old Norwegian temporary resident of Thu Duc City, a district-level administrative unit of Ho Chi Minh City.

The session was convened after police reviewed a video clip of the traffic collision that had circulated on social media.

As shown in the clip, N. was driving a motorbike at 9:13 am on December 14 on Dien Bien Phu Street in Binh Thanh District when N. merged into the left lane, colliding with T.’s motorbike.

T. had a passenger riding pillion at the time.

The collision caused T. and his passenger to fall from the bike, but N. continued riding.

T. and his passenger were not injured, though his vehicle was slightly scratched. He did not report the incident to police. 

The incident was recorded by a car dashcam in a video that was later posted and spread on social media.

During the reconciliation session, N. reported that prior to the collision, T.’s motorbike had nearly struck the front of his vehicle as T. attempted to maneuver around construction on the street.

According to N., T. did not apologize but instead cursed at him in a foreign language before driving away. Feeling provoked, N. admitted that his anger led to the subsequent collision.

T. acknowledged the accuracy of N.'s account and apologized for his behavior. In turn, N. also offered an apology to T. for causing the collision.

The two men then shook hands to forgive each other, and neither claimed compensation.

Both also apologized to local police for their mistakes.        

The department hoped to use the incident to spread a message to the public that everyone should strictly comply with traffic rules and be more careful on the road, including when shifting to other lanes or changing directions, to ensure safety for themselves and all around them.

The agency also urged commuters to remain calm, exercise self-restraint, act civilly, and show respect toward others in the event of traffic incidents.

Such behavior can help avoid wrongful actions that could harm their reputation, lead to financial losses, or even result in criminal prosecution.

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