6-vehicle crash leaves 3 dead, 10 hurt in Marikina

MANILA, Philippines —  Three people died and 10 others were injured after a trailer truck collided with five vehicles along Fortune Avenue in Marikina City on Wednesday night.

Probers said the 40-foot container truck was traversing an inclined slope of the road in Barangay Fortune when the accident occurred at 11 p.m.

The 54-year-old driver, Gabriel Almeda, told police that he lost control of the truck after the brakes malfunctioned.

An investigation showed that the truck veered backward and crashed into five vehicles: two passenger jeepneys, a compact car, a sport utility vehicle and a sedan.

The vehicles were crushed as the truck rolled backward.

Dave David, city disaster risk reduction and management office chief, said a jeepney driver as well as a woman and her child died in the collision.

Ten people were injured and brought by rescuers to a hospital for treatment.

David said among those injured is a woman who was pinned inside the jeepney. She was extricated after several hours.

Almeda, who is under police custody, is facing cases of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide, multiple physical injuries and damage to property.

The truck and the other vehicles were removed at the scene yesterday morning.

LTO summons  driver, truck owner

Following the fatal accident, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) has summoned the registered owner and driver of the trailer truck.

LTO chief Vigor Mendoza II said a show-cause order has been issued to Almeda and the truck owner, as part of the agency’s investigation into the collision.

“We want to determine if there were lapses on the part of the registered owner in terms of truck maintenance and the condition of the driver at the time of the accident,” Mendoza said in a statement.

He said Almeda would be asked to explain why he should not face complaints for reckless driving and being classified as an improper person to operate a motor vehicle, which could result in the revocation of his driver’s license.

The driver’s license of Almeda has been suspended and the truck has been placed under alarm pending the result of the probe, according to Mendoza.

The LTO will also determine if overloading contributed to the crash. – Christine Boton