Two drivers were killed while at least 57 passengers were injured when a trailer truck accidentally rammed into a bus in in Atimonan, Quezon midnight yesterday.
Police Major Michael Encio, chief of the Atimonan Municipal Police Station, said the drivers of the trailer truck and Mark Eve’s Transit Bus both died on the spot.
The bus driver was identified as Jonathan Lirio, legal age, while the truck driver’s identity is yet to be determined.
The bus conductor, identified as Jordan Anthony Manuel, all of the bus passengers, and the helper of the truck were taken to different hospitals in Atimonan and Lucena City.
The reliever of the bus driver was reported missing and is yet to be found.
Initial investigation revealed that the trailer truck was traversing the southbound lane of a new diversion road on Maharlika Highway in Barangay Malinao Ilaya at 12 a.m. when the accident happened.
Police said the driver of the speeding trailer truck lost control of the vehicle upon reaching a sharp curve portion of the highway.
The trailer truck swerved on the opposite lane, turned turtle, and collided with the passenger bus which was travelling towards the northbound lane.
Upon contact, the trailer truck dragged the bus for a few meters on the side of the highway before it came into a full stop. The front portions of the trailer truck and the bus were a complete wreck, police said.
The trailer truck ended up on its side leaning towards the shattered left portion of the bus.
An electric post was damaged when it was sideswiped by the trailer truck while broken pieces of glass bottles which were aboard the truck were left scattered on the road, police added.
Encio said the trailer truck was on its way to Bicol from Manila while the passenger bus from Pilar, Sorsogon was on its way to Manila when the accident occurred.
A case for reckless imprudence resulting in homicide, multiple physical injuries, and damage to property may be filed against the helper of the truck, police said. (Martin Sadongdong with a report from Danny Estacio)
