SUV caught on CCTV making u-turn over island at EDSA underpass

The Land Transportation Office (LTO) has issued a Show Cause Order (SCO) against the registered owner of a sports utility vehicle (SUV) after a viral video on social media showed the vehicle making an illegal U-turn at the EDSA-Aurora underpass.

In a statement on Wednesday, the LTO said that the vehicle was “reckless and irresponsible” for endangering lives on the road.

“We already received a formal complaint from MMDA chairman Don Artes regarding this incident and this is now the subject of our investigation. Our immediate response was to issue an SCO,” said LTO chief Assistant Secretary Attorney Vigor Mendoza II.

The registered owner of the vehicle was asked to appear at the LTO Central Office on October 14 with the driver of the vehicle to explain why they should not be penalized.

“The involved driver is further directed to submit a comment/explanation why his/her driver's license should not be suspended or revoked for being an Improper Person to Operate a Motor Vehicle under Sec. 27(a) of R.A. 4136 in connection with the incident,” the SCO read.

“Failure to appear and submit the written comment/explanation as required shall be construed by this Office as a waiver of your right to be heard, and the case shall be decided based on the evidence at hand,” he added.

In a separate statement,the  MMDA said Artes has asked Mendoza for the imposition of appropriate sanctions against the SUV driver.

“In wanton disregard of standard and safe operation of motor vehicle, the driver thereof maneuvered the vehicle on the opposite lane risking not just the safety of other motorists but also of the other occupants of said (SUV),” Artes cited in the complaint submitted to Mendoza.

"The sense of entitlement of the driver is very apparent in that, after forcedly executing the U-turn, he could be seen driving off nonchalantly as if he did not commit an egregious traffic violation. It could be even argued that what he did amount to criminal negligence owing to the clear breach of the most basic driving decorum," he added.

The driver is facing charges of Reckless Driving and Obstruction of Traffic.

“The vehicle was already placed under alarm to prevent any and all transactions while under investigation,” the statement read. —NB/RF, GMA Integrated News