I initially suspected the driver might have been distracted or asleep at the wheel, but looking at the location on Google Maps—a long downhill stretch—it’s possible the vehicle had suffered a brake failure. This video, filmed in Sumberwuluh, Candipuro, Lumajang Regency, East Java, Indonesia, shows a Hino gravel truck colliding at high speed with a Mitsubishi gravel truck. A married couple, aged 25 and 28, who were in the Hino, died in the accident, while the driver of the Mitsubishi—the vehicle that was struck—sustained serious injuries.
Video
Series of brake-failure accidents on downhill stretches in East Java
In Lumajang Regency, East Java—the site of the current accident—a similar incident occurred on September 17, 2026, in the Gucialit District. A Mitsubishi truck experienced brake failure while traveling downhill, colliding with several vehicles, motorcycles, and guests attending a wedding; the crash resulted in two deaths and nine injuries. In the neighboring Probolinggo Regency, another accident took place late on April 18 of the same year, when a semi-trailer truck lost control due to a brake system malfunction, killing a family of four. It was later revealed that the trailer had been operating despite its mandatory vehicle inspection certificate having expired on October 28, 2023. These incidents share common factors: a series of brake-failure accidents on downhill slopes occurring within a short timeframe in the same region of East Java, and the continued operation of vehicles with expired inspection certificates.
In 2021, Indonesia recorded 103,645 traffic accidents nationwide, resulting in 25,266 fatalities; accidents involving freight vehicles accounted for 12% of the total. According to World Health Organization (WHO) estimates, the traffic fatality rate in Indonesia improved by 14% between 2010 and 2021—a slower pace of improvement compared to the 35% reduction observed across the Southeast Asian region as a whole.
Comments