20 people injured in multi-vehicle smash-up

CAMP VICENTE LIM, LAGUNA , Philippines  – Twenty people were hurt and hospitalized when a dump truck driver lost control of his brakes and smashed into seven other vechicles along the highway in Taytay, Rizal, yesterday morning.

Chief Superintendent Perfecto Palad, Calabarzon police director, said most of the victims were jeepney passengers who were injured and rushed to different hospitals in the area. Most of them sustained only scrapes and bruises, but a few were reportedly in more serious condition.

Palad said seven victims were brought to the Taytay Emergency Hospital, while six to the Manila East Medical Center and seven were rushed to Rizal Medical Center. The youngest victim was a five-month-old boy while the oldest was 43. He said the vehicles that figured in the smashup were two jeepneys, a Nissan Urvan, a Mitsubishi Adventure, a Toyota Revo and a taxi cab.

According to traffic investigator the truck (RCG 107) carrying a load of sand, overturned on the Manila East Road near the public market after it plowed into two passenger jeepneys, a van, two sports utility vehicles and a taxi.

The truck driver, Jojit Tecson, 31, who was also injured, told traffic investigators he lost control of his brakes and hit a passenger jeepney and dragged it for several hundred meters before overturning and hitting the other vehicles.    – Ed Amoroso