Wayward jeepneys kill 1, hurt 6

A man was killed when the passenger jeepney he was riding in fell on its side and crushed him after it slammed into a van in Quezon City on Wednesday night.

The accident took place a day after another passenger jeepney also tipped over and ended up on its side, injuring six of its 11 passengers, on Roxas Boulevard, Parañaque City. Witnesses said that the driver had been racing his vehicle against a delivery truck. Fortunately, none of his passengers suffered serious injuries.

In Wednesday’s incident, Gerald Alvin Faypon, 29, was declared dead on arrival at De Los Santos Medical Center.

Traffic investigator Police Officer 3 Francis Serrano said the victim was in the front seat of the passenger jeepney which hit a Mitsubishi Adventure at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

Five other passengers were also reported injured. They were identified as Roviedhel Arceta, 20; Rhodora Jacinto, 45; Rolando Javier Jr., 28; Visitacion Largo, 31 and Rizalina Montemayor, 32.

On the other hand, the jeepney driver, Romeo Igpit, was taken into police custody and could face charges of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide, multiple physical injuries and damage to property.

Igpit told the police that he was driving his Quiapo-bound jeepney on E. Rodriguez Sr. Avenue near Betty Go-Belmonte Street when a motorcycle suddenly came out of one of side roads.

He said he swung the steering wheel to the left to avoid hitting the motorcycle but he ended up smashing into the van being driven by Aaron Lawrence Chua Chong.

Due to the impact, the jeepney tipped over and fell on its right side, crushing Faypon who was seated up front, beside the driver. With a report from Jodee Agoncillo