1 hurt as 2 racing buses collide

MANILA, Philippines - Racing to get to passengers first, two buses collided along EDSA in Mandaluyong City yesterday and one of them hit and seriously injured a commuter.

Christian Lorence Ruiz, 21, sustained head injuries and is being treated at the Victor Potenciano Medical Center.

Bus drivers Emmanuel Malate, 45, and Jeffrey Villarba, 39, surrendered to responding policemen.

Malate will be charged with reckless imprudence resulting in serious physical injuries because witnesses identified his bus as the one that hit Ruiz.

Police Officer 1 Gerry Lantono said Malate, driving a Dela Rosa Transit bus (UYE-118), and Villarba, in a GPS Transit bus (UYA-358), were racing against each other to be first to take in a long line of people waiting for ride along EDSA’s southbound lane in Barangay Highway Hills at about 6:10 a.m.

When the buses collided, Malate’s bus spun out of control and hit Ruiz, who was thrown some meters away and landed on the pavement headfirst, witnesses said.