A total of 11 persons died and scores were hurt in separate vehicular crashes in Rizal and Cavite provinces on Tuesday—a day after four persons were killed and five others were injured in a nine-vehicle smashup in Bulacan.
Nine persons, mostly pedestrians, died in Cardona, Rizal when a cargo truck rammed a passenger jeepney, which then hit a truck filled with sand, around 5 a.m. Tuesday, police investigators said.
In Mendez, Cavite, another 18-wheeler sand hauler lost control and careened into at least a dozen vehicles along the national highway, killing two persons and sending 15 others to the hospital.
This followed the multi-vehicle smashup along MacArthur Highway in Barangay Biñang 1st, Bocaue, Bulacan on Monday, when a black Mitsubishi Strada pickup rammed into four motorcycles and two tricycles before colliding with an L-300 van and a sport utility vehicle.
In the most fatal incident, three of the nine fatalities were identified as Maximo Julian, 60, and students Jan Brian Madaya and John Lester Lambrinto, according to the Cardona Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office. Five other people were treated for injuries.
Another fatality was the driver of the wayward truck—who remained unidentified as of presstime—
after he smashed his vehicle head on into a jeepney driven by Fernando Bandril. The jeep got sandwiched by another cargo truck driven by Ronilo Caballes.
Police Master Sgt. Lediboy Tamares, the case investigator, said the jeep had no passengers, but the collision had hit most of the fatalities, who were just out for a morning jog.
The truck only stopped when it hit a roadside electric post that snapped, as bystanders rushed Bandril, Caballes, and his still unidentified truck helper to the Carlos Medical and Maternity Hospital in Cardona.
In Cavite, Jeffrey Almansor of the Mendez Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office said the truck was going downhill but struggled to control its payload and crashed into the other vehicles along the Mendez-Indang road in Barangay Poblacion 2 at 7 a.m.
Police held truck driver Romeo Sevilla, who was injured, in custody.
Those killed were identified as Rolando Ligsa and Roger Santos, while 20 persons were brought to hospitals for treatment.
In Bocaue, police identified the fatalities as Ricardo Sumagang, 29; his wife, Maria Irene, 31; Joan Deso, 34; and Rener Reyes, 41. The latter died while being treated at the Dr. Yanga Hospital here, while the three died on the spot.
Allan Salonga, 36; Mike Denyega, 34; Rojan Mandapat, 29; Darwin Reyes, 28; and Edison San Gabriel, 41, were injured and are still receiving treatment at the St. Paul Hospital in Bulacan.
Lt. Col. Rizalino Andaya, Bocaue police chief, said the accident happened around 12:30 p.m.
The pickup driver, identified as Fernando Salvador Roxas of Panginay, Balagtas, Bulacan, was treated for arm injuries in a hospital before being detained at the police station.