‘Sleepy’ bus driver rams into trailer truck, 1 dead

SAN PEDRO CITY — One was killed while about 35 other passengers were injured after their bus rammed into a trailer truck along the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) in this city early on Monday.

Police Chief Inspector Arnel Pagulayan, the chief of the Laguna Highway Patrol Group, said the accident happened around 6 a.m. near Kilometer 28+280 in Barangay (village) San Antonio of the expressway.

Involved were an AB Liner Mandigma bus and a six-wheeler trailer truck, both of which were bound south. The bus came from Metro Manila and was heading for Calamba City in Laguna.

In a phone interview, Pagulayan said the trailer truck, driven by Maylo Mendez Batoon, was on the outermost lane when the bus on the other lane, driven by Benito Antig, suddenly swerved to the right and hit the left rear of the truck.

“The passengers claimed that the bus driver was sleepy,” Pagulayan said.

Due to the impact, the passengers seated on the right side of the bus were hurt while one, Jonathan Weson Factorin, a security guard from Cabuyao City, Laguna, had died.

Pagulayan said 35 passengers were brought to nearby hospitals, 19 of whom were discharged by noon.

He said Antig has been detained and would face charges for reckless imprudence resulting in homicide and multiple injuries.

Aside from these charges, Pagulayan said they were coordinating with the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board in Laguna to check if the bus’ franchise has not yet expired. JE