Trial on death of Hanoi first grader on school bus kicks off

The Cau Giay district People’s Court on January 14 opened a trial on the death of a six-year-old boy who was trapped in a school bus for nine hours on August 6, 2019, VnExpress reported.

Driver Doan Quy Phien at the People's Court of Cau Giay district on January 14 morning. Photo: Pham Du

Nguyen Thi Thuy, 29, who is first grader Le Hoang Long Long’s teacher, is tried on charge of irresponsibility causing serious consequences. Doan Quy Phien, 53, the bus driver, and Nguyen Bich Quy, 55, an assistant traveling with the pupils on the bus, are tried for involuntary manslaughter.

The culprits are expected to be handed sentences ranging from home detention to three or five years in prison.

Police investigations showed that on August 1, 2019, Ngan Ha Company signed a car rental contract with driver Doan Quy Phien for one year. The driver was responsible for picking up the students to school.

Three days later, the company had a verbal agreement with Nguyen Bich Quy, under which Quy would act as a supervisor to travel with the children in the van and check out their attendance.

At 6 a.m. on August 6, 2019, Phien and Quy picked up 13 Gateway International School students in Cau Giay district. However, on the afternoon of the same day, Le Hoang Long was found dead on the floor of the van. Hanoi temperatures on that day were between 26 and 34 degrees Celsius (79-93 degrees Fahrenheit).

Long’s family requested an autopsy to identify the time and cause of death of their only child.
Quy and Phien were blame for not checking the vehicle after dropping them off at the school.
Long’s teacher, Nguyen Thi Thuy, saw the attendance report and knew that Long was absent without a reason but did not contact with his parents.