THE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority yesterday said it will further improve its safety protocols and towing procedure after a forklift being used to tow a 14-wheeler cargo truck figured in a freak accident in Quezon City last Saturday, killing a motorcycle rider and injuring another.
MMDA spokesperson Melissa Carunungan said aside from conducting an investigation, the agency will also review its safety and towing protocols to ensure such an accident never happens again.
“Moving forward, we will use this incident to improve our safety protocols, most especially with trucks of this size,” Carunungan said.
She said MMDA Chairman Romande Artes has tasked MMDA General Manager Procopio Lipana to lead the investigation.
The cargo truck decoupled from the forklift after the tow bar suddenly detached, causing it to roll backwards on Aurora Blvd. in Barangay Valencia, Quezon City.
The cargo truck, loaded with sand, ran over motorcycle rider Dexter Cortez, who died at the East Avenue Medical Center while being treated for injuries.
The truck also rammed into four other vehicles.
The forklift driver, Rolando Llanera, was arrested and detained by responding operatives of the Quezon City police.
Carunungan said Llanera, who is with the MMDA Road Emergency Group, has no record of being involved in similar accidents.
