Tuyên Quang Police reads the arrest order against Sùng Seo Chính (black shirt). — Photo courtesy of the police

HÀ NỘI — Police in the northern mountainous province of Tuyên Quang have prosecuted a local motorbike driver in connection with a traffic accident that killed a British tourist earlier this year while on the Hà Giang Loop tour, a case that drew widespread attention after the victim’s family agreed to donate her organs to save others in Việt Nam.

The Investigation Police Agency under the Tuyên Quang Provincial Police on Thursday said criminal proceedings had been launched against Sùng Seo Chính – born in 1984, a resident of Khâu Mèng hamlet, Thuận Hoà Commune – for allegedly violating road traffic regulations under Article 260 of the Penal Code.

According to investigators, the accident occurred on March 29 along National Highway 4C in Thuận Hòa Commune, on the route through the Đồng Văn Karst Plateau, one of northern Việt Nam's most popular destinations among foreign backpackers and adventure travellers for its winding, treacherous roads amidst spectacular mountain views.

Police said Chính was riding a motorbike carrying British national Orla Sabina Wates, 19, from London, as a passenger while touring the area. For the Hà Giang Loop tour, pillion riding, or 'easy riding' is usually picked for tourists that don't know how to ride a motorbike or have limited experience.

At around Km11+410 in Hòa Bắc Hamlet, he allegedly failed to pay sufficient attention to the road and did not maintain a safe distance from a motorbike travelling ahead in the same direction.

His vehicle reportedly collided with the motorbike in front before crashing into an oncoming lorry.

Wates suffered critical injuries and later died despite emergency treatment.

Authorities said the investigation into the crash is continuing in accordance with Vietnamese law.

The incident made headlines in Việt Nam and across the world after the Wates’ family decided to donate her organs following the fatal incident. Doctors at Việt Đức Friendship Hospital in Hà Nội confirmed that her donated organs helped save three critically ill patients awaiting transplants.

The Đồng Văn Karst Plateau, recognised by UNESCO as a Global Geopark, attracts large numbers of domestic and international tourists each year for its dramatic mountain passes and ethnic minority culture. However, the winding roads and steep terrain in the region have also long posed traffic safety risks, particularly for inexperienced riders and visitors unfamiliar with local conditions.

In the aftermath of Wates' death, authorities in Tuyên Quang Province announced stricter inspections and enforcement measures targeting tour operators, rental services and foreign riders along the route through the Đồng Văn Karst Plateau.

Officials said they would tighten checks on licences, vehicle conditions and tour operations while reviewing dangerous road sections and traffic infrastructure shortcomings on the mountainous roads. — VNS