10 hurt in smashup at Simbulan accident site

MANILA, Philippines - Ten persons were injured in a collision involving a jeepney and a van yesterday morning along Commonwealth Avenue, at the same spot where journalist Lourdes “Chit” Estella-Simbulan was killed in another accident two weeks ago.

Traffic investigator Allan Paul Florendo said the collision happened at around 5:20 a.m. at the U-turn slot just in front of Gate 3 of the UP Ayala Techno Hub in Quezon City.

Benjamin Pacio Jr., 43, was driving a Mitsubishi L-300 van (UMC-960) and had just gone through the U-turn slot when his vehicle was hit in the right rear end by a jeepney (PHG-875) driven by Daniel Talledo, 63, who was headed towards Elliptical Road. Both drivers emerged unscathed from the collision.

Jeepney passengers Patricia Diaz, 41; Jovy Bacaniz, 39; Jessie Fernandez, 41; and Michael Basa, 39, were rushed to the St. Luke’s Medical Center while the six other occupants of the van – all construction workers – were brought to the East Avenue Medical Center. They were identified as Christopher Palomo, 27; Edwin Luna, 23; James Calica, 21; Rommel Marumbaga, 34; Romeo Pitao, 28; and Chiba Anito, 37.

According to Florendo, the van was heading to a construction site near the UP Ayala Techno Hub that morning when the collision happened.

‘Blind spot’

Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said yesterday it cannot check if Talledo had broken the 60-kilometer per hour speed limit along Commonwealth Avenue.

“We could not determine if the jeepney was overspeeding. That area is a blind spot for CCTVs (closed circuit television cameras),” MMDA assistant general manager for operations Emerson Carlos said.

He admitted that the jeepney was not tracked by traffic enforcers armed with radar speed tracking guns.

Carlos said MMDA enforcers told him that even if the jeepney was traveling just below the speed limit, it would inflict the same amount of damage on the van.

According to radio reports, Talledo said his jeepney lost its brakes before slamming into the van.