Smash-up on South Luzon Tollway

A cab driver and two of his passengers were injured after his FX mega-taxi figured in a 10-vehicle smash-up on the southbound lane of the South Luzon Tollway (SLT) yesterday afternoon.

The accident also caused heavy traffic on the busy thoroughfare, authorities said.

Other injuries were only minor, said Orly Lanuza, radio operator of the Philippine National Construction Corp. (PNCC), which manages the SLT.

The names of those injured were not available as of press time. They were brought to the South Super Highway Medical Hospital for treatment, Lanuza said.

The driver’s legs were pinned in the wreckage and it took rescuers at least an hour to extricate him, Lanuza said.

Initial investigation showed that the incident happened at 2:30 p.m. between the C-5 and Bicutan portions of the SLT.

A 10-wheeler truck (WEB 113) carrying bags of cement lost its brakes and bumped the rear of a Nissan pick-up (UTW 877), which then hit a BBL Transit bus (DVB 139).

The FX taxi (PYB 247) was sandwiched by the bus and a trailer truck (VUP 800). Rescuers could have used acetylene to help extricate the driver faster but decided against it because the taxi’s gas tank was leaking, Lanuza explained.

Also involved in the accident were an aluminum closed van (GEM 399), a Honda City (ULS 469), two Honda Civics (VJB 777) and WLX 270) and a Quezon Linear passenger bus (DVW 515).– Nikko Dizon