9 hurt as truck hits van in Pasig City

Nine people, including six-year-old Harvey Pamintuan, had to be rushed to the hospital after they sustained injuries in a traffic accident involving three vehicles in Pasig City on Monday night.

Case investigator PO3 Cristino Silayan told the Inquirer that the Mitsubishi L-300 van Pamintuan was riding in was nearly crushed between a 16-wheel truck and a Toyota Innova that it was a miracle the boy and his companions were alive.

Based on a police report, the others who were injured were Dante Camarines, the van driver; May Rosales, 27; Erick Suarez, 41; Mylene Grace Villarez; Cris Mendoza, 24; Anna Mae Camirian; Maria Angelie Fondrela, 36; and another person identified only as Ramos, 19.

Two of them were treated at Rizal Medical Center while the rest were taken to The Medical City. According to Silayan, all three vehicles were plying the northbound lane of C-5 Road in Barangay (village) Ugong at 10:30 p.m. when the Innova being driven by Christopher Pamintuan suddenly stopped, prompting Camarines to step on the brakes.

However, Lyndon Labay, the driver of the 16-wheel trailer truck, was unable to stop in time his vehicle which ended up hitting the back of the van. The Innova, on the other hand, suffered only scratches, Silayan said.

According to the investigator, there were no reports that Labay was sleepy or drunk at that time although he said they would also look into this.—Kristine Felisse Mangunay