Skyway mishap caught on CCTV

MANILA, Philippines - The accident involving a sport utility vehicle and a mini-bus that fell off the Skyway in Sun Valley, Parañaque City over the weekend was caught on a closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera.

The CCTV footage released yesterday by the security division of the Skyway Tollways Corp. showed the black Toyota Fortuner driven by RJ Erese rear-ending the mini-bus driven by Allan Nowal.

Southern Police District director Chief Superintendent Jose Erwin Villarcorte said the SUV driver may have fallen asleep.

He said accidents along the Skyway are not under the jurisdiction of the local police.

The Philippine National Police’s Highway Patrol Group is in charge of investigating accidents in the area, he said.

Reports said that Nowal was driving the mini-bus along the elevated highway’s southbound lane in Sun Valley after ferrying the firm’s tellers to their respective tollbooths when the accident occurred at 5:17 a.m. on Sunday.

Nowal and a passenger of the Fortuner were slightly injured and brought to a nearby hospital.

Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authorit (MMDA) yesterday called on contractors working on major infrastructure projects in the metropolis to install CCTVs at their work sites to help in traffic monitoring.

MMDA assistant general manager for operations Emerson Carlos said the CCTV cameras installed at various construction sites will be connected to the MMDA’s Merobase for monitoring of traffic flow as well as debris and other obstructions that could pose danger to motorists.