Accidents on the road are not a rare sight, especially in a country as notorious for its chaotic traffic as Vietnam. No matter how carefully we drive, there can still be unexpected occurrences that catch us off guard.
A car driver in Vietnam, though, has proven that such usually unpleasant encounters don’t necessarily have to end in discord. Rather than getting angry at a careless motorbike driver who collided with his car and asked for compensation, he gifted the other man a new motorbike instead.
Video credit: Huỳnh Bảo Toàn
Last Saturday, Huỳnh Bảo Toàn from Saigon took to his Facebook page to share a video of a road accident he was involved in. Unlike most road accident stories, this didn’t end in conflict or tragedy – fortunately, with his own generous act, he turned the undesirable situation into a heartwarming story.
The video, likely recorded by a dashcam, shows that as Toàn was driving, a motorbike driver in front of him abruptly turned to enter the car lane, placing him right in front of Toàn’s car. Luckily, Toàn managed to hit the brakes in time and the other man was only lightly hit without any major injuries.
In the video’s caption, Toàn explained that as the motorbike driver was humble and apologetic, he didn’t ask him to pay for the damage done to his car, telling him that it would be covered by insurance. In fact, Toàn even gave the other man some money to repair his motorbike, seeing that he didn’t seem very well-off. The motorbike driver initially refused the money and only accepted after Toàn insisted.
The motorbike driver was apologetic as he explained that he was trying to pick up a money bill
Video credit: Huỳnh Bảo Toàn
During the second half of the video, which Toàn seemed to have taken with his phone to later show his insurance company, we can see the motorbike driver explaining that the reason he made the unexpected turn was to pick up a money bill that someone had dropped on the road.
The generous Huỳnh Bảo Toàn next to the motorbike he’d prepared to give away
Image credit: Huỳnh Bảo Toàn
For most of us, this amicable resolution following a road accident would have been enough of a happy ending for the story, but Toàn decided to take it a bit further.
Later that night, Toàn published another post asking people to help him find the motorbike driver’s contact information. From what Toàn said, upon rewatching the video, he was touched by the man’s sincere attitude and sad, rugged eyes, which showed he’d had a hard life. As such, he wanted to help the man by gifting him a new motorbike.
The motorbike driver’s bike was in bad shape, so Toàn decided to give him a new one.
Image credit: Huỳnh Bảo Toàn
And sure enough, with the help of the online community, the motorbike driver’s identity was quickly found. The next morning, Toàn posted an update saying that he’d contacted the man and had had a brand new motorbike prepared for him.
The motorbike being given away to the motorcyclist
Video credit: Huỳnh Bảo Toàn
Toàn’s generous act, going out of his way to help a less fortunate man, has made headlines on several news sites and earned him the praise of the online community.
A road accident is always unwanted, but Toàn’s actions prove that if the parties remain calm and communicate with respect and sincerity, the situation can in fact be turned into a positive story.
Of course, to stay safe on the road and minimize the risks of getting into an accident in the first place, equip yourself with the knowledge to avoid these 8 common driving mistakes in Vietnam.
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Cover image adapted from Huỳnh Bảo Toàn (left) and Huỳnh Bảo Toàn (right)
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