Truckers’ road spat turns ugly, deadly

A man died after he was run over by his fellow truck driver with whom he had an altercation in the southbound lane of Mel Lopez Boulevard in Vitas, Tondo, Manila, the police said Friday.

The incident, which was caught in a viral video, showed Benjamin Bagtas, 47, a resident of Parola Compound in Manila, alighting from his truck before being sandwiched by another truck.

Bagtas died while being treated at the Tondo Medical Center due to severe injuries to the body, investigator Staff Sergeant Jason Ibasco said.

The police arrested Marlon Ilas, the driver of the bigger truck who tried to flee after the incident.

Bagtas, according to the initial investigation, had just alighted from his truck to confront the suspect on why he was driving so fast, when Ilas veered his truck to the left to pin the victim.

Ilas drove even faster after dragging Bagtas a few meters and was arrested after being chased briefly by the police.

Charges for reckless imprudence resulting in homicide will be filed by the police before the Manila Prosecutor's Office, but some lawyers privy to the incident said the charge should be murder.