They posted in unison—then deleted in unison. The words that disappeared: “VTV,” “announcement,” “information,” and “transparency.”
The Latest: At around noon Aug. 17, multiple Vietnamese Facebook pages with massive followings published posts containing the terms “BMW” and “VTV,” prompting speculation that Việt Nam Television (VTV) would address the fatal May 2025 crash allegedly involving former National Assembly deputy Nguyễn Sỹ Cương during its 7 p.m. Thời Sự broadcast.
- However, less than two hours later, these pages began hiding or deleting their posts in a coordinated manner, scrubbing terms such as “VTV,” “announcement,” “information,” and “transparency.”
- Neither state media nor VTV has issued a formal announcement regarding the case, and the pages have not responded to commenters demanding sources.
The Details: The synchronized posting and subsequent deletion involved several of Việt Nam’s largest social media aggregators.
At 11:39 a.m. on Aug. 17, Schannel, boasting over 1.2 million followers, posted, “Information about the BMW crash will be released tonight, Aug. 17.”
- The page added in the comments: “Tonight on VTV1, 7 p.m.”
At approximately the same time, Weibo Việt Nam (over 2.3 million followers) posted:
“Information about the BMW crash will be released today, Aug. 17.”
Tifosi, a page with more than 405,000 followers, explicitly stated:
“I am fairly certain that VTV1’s 7 p.m. news tonight will be among the most-watched broadcasts in the history of Vietnamese television. Tonight, VTV1 will release information and a report on the incident at 55 Nguyễn Huy Tự that killed a female student. I would not dare direct or comment extensively on this case, nor would I order anyone around. I would offer only one piece of advice to everyone, friends and internet users: There is still time. People should live by upholding the law, respecting the victim’s family and trusting the truth.”
Other pages, including TOP Comments (over 4.5 million followers), Gió (over 1.6 million followers), and TOPVN, also made similar posts before the coordinated purge.
In the remaining comment sections, some pages left cryptic messages such as: “The BMW case will be clarified at 7 tonight.”
The May 2025 Car Crash: According to the newspaper Pháp Luật, a 64-year-old man identified by the initials N.S.C., formerly a resident of Hà Nội’s Đống Đa District, drove a BMW on Nguyễn Huy Tự Street from Trần Khánh Dư toward Yec-xanh Street.
- The vehicle collided with a motorcycle traveling in the opposite direction.
- The motorcycle was driven by Đ.V.H., who was carrying his 18-year-old daughter, Đ.N.P.T.
- The crash broke the father’s leg and severed the right leg of his daughter, who was critically injured.
On May 31, 2025, a representative of Road Traffic Police Team No. 4 under the Hà Nội police announced that the case file had been transferred to the Hanoi Police Investigation Agency.
On June 8, relative Đỗ Quang Minh confirmed on Facebook that “Thùy—known at home as Mina—the victim of the crash that severed her leg more than a week ago” had died.
On June 10, an image of a funeral notice on the VOZ forum stated: “The visitation for Đỗ Ngọc Phương Thùy will begin at 2:15 p.m. on June 11, 2025. Location: National Funeral Hall, 5 Trần Thánh Tông Street, Hà Nội.”
- The notice indicated she died at 10:07 p.m. on June 7, 2025, and identified her parents as Đỗ Việt Hùng and Nguyễn Quỳnh Trang.
Since those initial reports, police and state media have released no further information.
Why It Matters: Over the past month, “Nguyễn Sỹ Cương,” “BMW,” and “tree No. 55” have dominated platforms like Threads.
- Social media users allege that Cương was the driver of the BMW and that he has thus far avoided criminal responsibility—claims authorities have not publicly confirmed.
Threads users have adopted unique methods to demand an official investigation, most notably organizing calls to leave flowers at the “Justice Tree” (tree No. 55 on Nguyễn Huy Tự Street), located near the site of the crash.
- However, by the afternoon of Aug. 14, all public tributes had been loaded onto a garbage truck, and police officers are now frequently stationed in the area to prevent citizens from leaving memorials for the victim.
Thành Phương wrote this news article in Vietnamese and published it in Luật Khoa Magazine on August 17, 2026. The Vietnamese Magazine translated it into English.
