Truck driver in fatal Laguna mishap gets license suspended

The Land Transportation Office (LTO) has suspended the driver’s license of a truck driver involved in a fatal road crash in Mabitac, Laguna, officials announced Tuesday. The crash, which was captured on a viral video, left a 65-year-old fruit vendor dead and two others injured.

LTO chief Assistant Secretary Vigor D. Mendoza II said the suspension and a concurrent investigation were in response to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to implement stricter road safety measures.

To recall, the incident occurred on 29 August after the truck reportedly lost its brakes while traveling on the national highway. Video footage showed the driver jumping out of the vehicle just before it crashed into a house.

Mendoza said the LTO has been “strict and aggressive” in its enforcement of laws concerning trucks, conducting surprise inspections for issues such as worn-out tires and overloading.

From January to July 2025, more than 9,000 trucks were apprehended nationwide for overloading, while hundreds more were cited for other violations.

In a show-cause order signed by LTO Intelligence and Investigation Division Chief Renante Melitante, the driver was asked to explain why he should not be penalized for reckless driving and for being an “Improper Person to Operate a Motor Vehicle.”

The registered owner of the truck was also summoned to explain why he should not be sanctioned for employing a reckless driver and was ordered to provide proof of the truck’s roadworthiness and maintenance records.

The LTO has placed the truck under an alarm, and the driver was ordered to surrender his license to begin a 90-day suspension.