Truck’s illegal turn leaves 8 injured in C5 smashup

Eight people were hurt early Friday in the second major road accident to snarl early-morning traffic on C5 Road within a week.

A 24-wheel truck loaded with sand slammed into a 10-wheel dump truck, causing the latter to hit two taxi cabs and two motorcycles at the intersection of C5 and Ortigas Avenue in Pasig City.

Insp. Ernesto Mones of the Pasig police said the first truck made an illegal left turn going to Ortigas Avenue and hit the Makati City-bound dump truck. The other affected vehicles were not moving at that time.

Injured were Lyn Barniego Baloya, 45, driver of the 24-wheel truck; Romulo Dipad Jr., 35, driver of the dump truck; taxi drivers Porfirio Daranay and Renaldo Saco Raro; motorcycle users Jove Balanche and Henderson Ulang; and the truck drivers’ two helpers who were not immediately identified. They were brought to Rizal Medical Center for treatment.

Lydia Gutana of the Pasig Traffic and Parking Management Office said it took until 7:45 a.m. to clear the area of the damaged trucks. By then, traffic was already heavy in the area, prompting the opening of a counterflow lane on Ortigas, she said.

PO3 Edwin de Guzman, the officer on the case, said Baloya faced charges for reckless imprudence resulting in injuries and damage to property.

Friday’s accident happened four days after a 7-vehicle smashup on the Taguig City section of C5 Road near the Market Market mall killed a truck passenger and left several others injured. Vanessa B. Hidalgo