Five people were injured when a UV Express van they were riding was hit by a trailer truck in Ermita, Manila, before dawn yesterday.
Three of the victims identified as Jaime Narciso, 53; Julie Rose Madrana, 25; both residents of Pasong Tamo, Quezon City; and the UV Express driver Noel Amarmenes, 46, of Marikina City, were rushed to Philippine General Hospital after they sustained body injuries.
Police were not able to identify the two other passengers after doctors advised them to go home after being treated for minor injuries.
The truck driver, Petronilo Nilooban, 53, a native of Sariaya, Quezon province, is now under the custody of Manila Police District-Vehicular Traffic Investigation Section (VTIS).
According to case investigator PO2 Benito Mateo, the incident occurred around 4 a.m. on Taft Avenue corner Ayala Boulevard.
The trailer truck (EUE-4683) was reportedly owned by Glory Trucking Services.
Witnesses said that Nilooban was driving too fast. He even reportedly sped off to escape after the incident but was later arrested by the authorities along United Nations Avenue. (Analou de Vera)