THE Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) 7 will conduct an investigation on a modern jeepney company following the involvement of its unit in a fatal crash along Cebu North Road in Barangay Basak, Mandaue City on Tuesday night, Nov. 14, 2023.
The agency’s legal team will send a show cause order to KTTS Corp., also known as Kats, to let it explain why its unit figured in the road incident, according to Reynaldo Elnar, chief transportation development officer of the LTFRB 7.
Elnar told SunStar Cebu on Wednesday, Nov. 15, that any sanctions or penalties against the transportation company would be evaluated as the investigation progresses.
The road incident involving Kats’ unit that plies the Liloan-Lapu-Lapu City route resulted in the death of one passenger, a 38-year-old female call center agent. Five other passengers were injured.
The modern jeepney was headed north Tuesday when it attempted to overtake a vehicle traveling ahead near the corner going to Barangay Labogon, according to Lt. Col. Franco Rudolf Oriol, deputy director for administration of the Mandaue City Police Office.
Doing so, the modern jeepney encroached on the opposite lane and met another vehicle heading south.
Kats’ driver avoided the vehicle. But the modern jeepney hit a parked vehicle in the process before it overturned.
The impact of the collision injured five passengers, all of whom sustained minor bruises and cuts. The call center agent sustained injuries to the head.
All passengers were seated behind the driver, particularly in the middle and end seats.
In an interview with reporters, Kats’ driver, Adonis Cimafranca, said the modern jeepney’s collision with the parked vehicle was a mere accident.
He explained that he was already heading home to Liloan and did not intend to pick up any passengers.
The six passengers were bound for Consolacion and Liloan towns.
A driver of 14 years, Cimafranca said he only sped up a bit, knowing that no one would get off the modern jeepney within the Mandaue City area.
He added that he had planned to drive early Wednesday.
Cimafranca is now in the custody of the Basak Police Station.
Oriol said they will file a complaint of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide against Cimafranca if the call center agent’s family will push through with it.
As for the injured passengers, it was not yet known if they will press charges against Cimafranca.
SunStar Cebu tried to get a statement from Kats’ management, but to no avail as of this writing.