Third-party probe launched into fatal cop mobile crash

Investigators have tapped the vehicle’s manufacturer to conduct a third-party technical inspection of a police van that crashed in Barangay Payatas on 24 April, killing five detainees.

Police Lt. Col. Josef Geoffrey Lyndon Lim, chief of the Quezon City Police District traffic enforcement unit, said Monday that the move aims to determine if mechanical failure contributed to the fatal collision.

The van was transporting the five individuals to the Payatas City Jail when it swerved and struck a wall.

“We are still awaiting the technical inspection report,” Lim said. “The vehicle underwent an inspection by a third party to find out the actual problem with the vehicle.”

Preliminary statements from those involved suggest the driver lost control after the vehicle began to fishtail.

Investigators are looking into reports of a “weird movement” or a sudden pull felt by the occupants before the crash.

The officer driving the van was arrested following the incident. Although an alcohol breath test yielded negative results, the driver faces charges of reckless imprudence resulting in multiple homicide, multiple physical injuries and damage to property.