A cooking oil truck struck a minibus in Karawang, Indonesia, on Sunday evening, February 15, 2026, resulting in three deaths and three serious injuries, according to reports from local authorities.
The incident occurred in Desa Kondangjaya, Karawang Timur, when the truck, bearing license plate B 9107 UEI, collided with the minibus. Investigators are focusing on reports that the truck driver attempted to navigate a steep and dangerous descent despite warnings from local residents.
Rio, a local traffic controller at the scene, stated the truck driver had surveyed the route earlier in the day. “From 3 p.m., the driver was surveying this path. He said he could do it, even though we told him it wasn’t possible. He should have entered through Lamaran Johar,” Rio said, as reported by Kompas.id.
Despite the warnings, the truck driver allegedly attempted the descent around 7:30 p.m. Local time. Rio described the driver’s actions, stating, “He was already committed once he started down, and reversing was too difficult. He had to preserve going. We told him to go right, but he kept going left.”
Prior to the fatal collision with the Toyota Corolla sedan carrying the victims, the truck reportedly struck a Colt Diesel vehicle. The truck then impacted a roadside barrier before overturning, ultimately falling onto the passenger vehicle. Rio also expressed frustration with social media narratives suggesting local traffic controllers solicited small sums of money to allow the truck passage.
“It’s upsetting that it’s being portrayed as if we were just asking for a thousand or two rupiah,” Rio said.
Witness Maryati, who was present at the scene, corroborated the account of the driver’s decision-making. She explained the driver chose the hazardous route because the intended unloading location for the cooking oil was situated at the base of the hill, near the Rawagabus irrigation canal. “He said the warehouse was closer that way. Going through Johar would have been much further. Usually, deliveries are dropped off at the top and transported by pick-up truck, but I don’t understand why he chose to come down here,” Maryati stated.
The descent is frequently used as a shortcut by residents to access the CKM housing area, but is not suitable for heavy vehicles. The driver’s decision resulted in the immediate deaths of a family – a father, mother, and their child – who were trapped inside the crushed Corolla.
The Karawang Police Traffic Unit, led by AKP Sudirianto, confirmed that the recovery of the victims took approximately two hours. Authorities have secured the truck and other vehicles involved as evidence and are continuing their investigation.