1 hurt in freak accident involving 8 vehicles

A motorcycle-riding man was critically injured during a freak accident involving eight vehicles, including a passenger, at the southbound lane of the Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (EDSA) in Makati City yesterday morning. The accident also caused heavy traffic along the southbound EDSA-Ayala tunnel in Makati until late in the afternoon.

Inspector Oscar Alicando of the Makati Traffic Enforcement Unit said the incident occurred at around 10 a.m. yesterday. Alicando identified the injured motorcycle-riding man as Antonio Vega, a resident of 3rd Avenue, Grace Park, Caloocan City. Vega sustained fractured bones in the right leg.

Witnesses told police that the accident was caused by a bus (NYT-497) operated by NS Transport Services, Inc. and driven by Antonio Remullo, 42, who was driving too fast and rammed the rear portion of a Ford Ranger (WMV-759) driven by a certain William Poa, of Bacoor, Cavite.

Alicando said the Ford Ranger also hit other vehicles in front of it which include a Ford Lynx, a PVM-Victory taxi, an L-300 van, an L-200 van and a Mitsubishi Adventure.

He said Vega was pinned between the Adventure and L-300 van while trying to avoid the colliding vehicles. Vega was rushed to the Ospital ng Makati for treatment.

Remullo said that the bus lost its brakes while approaching the mouth of the Ayala tunnel.

The NS Transport Services, Inc., assured Vega that it will shoulder his hospital expenses and pay for the damages of the vehicles involved.