SPO2 Edgar Lim of the Caloocan Traffic Management Group (TMG) identified the lone fatality as Richard Bulaton of Christ the King Veterans Village, Project 7, Quezon City. Bulaton suffered severe multiple injuries in the head and body and died on the spot.
Carebie Macalino, who was driving the Revo, and Jeffrey Bulaton, the fatality’s brother, sustained serious injuries and were taken to the Manila Central University (MCU) Hospital for treatment.
The victims were workers at the KEGSS Trucking Corp. in Sta. Cruz, Manila.
Eliseo Rivera, 43, who was driving the tanker, was unhurt and surrendered to the police after the incident.
Lim said the collision occurred at around 4:45 a.m. yesterday. The victims, on board a Toyota Revo (XGP-181), were traveling southbound toward Sta. Cruz along Rizal Avenue Extension when an Isuzu tanker (TGH-308) hit them at the intersection on 5th Avenue.
Later that morning, at around 10:45 a.m., taxi driver Releon de la Torre, 37, of Bulacan, showed up at the TMG office to complain about a Revo that sideswiped him at the Balintawak Cloverleaf Interchange going to EDSA at around 4 a.m.
The Revo appeared to be the one that figured in the accident with the tanker minutes later.
Police theorized that the victims were in a hurry after the incident with the taxi and in their haste, collided with the truck.