Truck in fatal Katipunan accident a rolling coffin

Land Transportation Office (LTO) chief, Assistant Secretary Atty. Vigor D. Mendoza II, has ordered a 90-day preventive suspension on the registration of the truck involved in a fatal accident at the Katipunan Flyover in Quezon City, which left four people dead and 25 others injured.

Mendoza’s order followed an investigation revealing that the Isuzu Wing Van Truck with license plate RJK719 had roadworthiness issues.

The LTO chief personally led the investigation during the first hearing, during which representatives of the company failed to provide clear answers regarding the roadworthiness of their trucks, particularly the one involved in the accident.

The truck rammed several motor vehicles at the Katipunan Flyover, causing the deaths of four people and injuries to 25 others. The driver claimed the brakes malfunctioned, and the LTO is investigating whether the brake failure was linked to overloading.

The LTO is not only investigating the truck driver but also the company for employing a reckless driver.

“We found out during the investigation that the truck’s registered engine number is different from the engine recorded in the findings of the North Motor Vehicle Inspection Center team,” Mendoza said.

“This establishes the fact that the subject vehicle is unfit to operate,” he added, citing a provision of Republic Act 4136, or the Land Transportation and Traffic Code, in imposing the penalty.

Further investigation revealed that the truck had been apprehended multiple times for overloading from 2021 to 2023.

Following the discovery of the traffic violation records and the registration discrepancy, Mendoza also ordered the confiscation of the truck’s license plate.

Immediately after the Katipunan accident, the LTO issued a show cause order against the truck driver, identified by the police as Richard Mangupag, and the registered owner of the vehicle.

The truck was found to be registered to a company engaged in sugar manufacturing.