Man survives car collision with train

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—He may have escaped unscathed after his car collided with a train in Manila on Friday morning, but Jerome Brieva will not escape charges for allegedly causing the accident in the first place. He will have to pay a fine of P2,000 at least.

The 36-year-old project coordinator of a construction company faces charges of reckless imprudence resulting in damage to property for the accident, said SPO4 Sergio Macaraig, the Manila District Traffic Enforcement Unit investigator on the case.

Brieva, who was driving a grey Nissan Navarra southbound on Jose Abad Santos Avenue in Daang Bakal, Tondo, had earlier stopped at the intersection with Antipolo Street to let a westbound train pass. But as he crossed the street after the train passed, he was hit by an eastbound train.

“He was trapped in the middle of the railroad tracks,” Macaraig said in a telephone interview. “The traffic was bad at that time, so he couldn’t maneuver out of the train’s way.”

Macaraig said Brieva had driven onto the tracks despite seeing the warning signs still active. The boom, meant to keep cars out of the tracks when a train passes, had lifted after the first train passed.

“Maybe he was in a rush, so when he saw the cars move a bit and a gap appeared on the track, he slotted in,” the investigator added.

His car was dragged a few meters after the impact before the train was able to stop. The car was a total wreck, its right side crumpled, and at least one of the car’s tires had fallen off.

Macaraig said Brieva was not drunk when the accident happened.

“He told us that he was just really trapped in between the tracks then. He was lucky that he just bumped his head and that he didn’t suffer a more serious injury,” Macaraig said.

Macaraig said the charges filed against Brieva will mean settling a fine of P2,000 at the City Hall. There is no jail term for the offense.

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