5-vehicle smashup on Commonwealth kills man

Quezon City’s “killer highway” claimed another life Wednesday morning, this time that of a 73-year-old motorist who lost control of his car till it crashed into four other vehicles on the opposite lane.

A taxi driver and his female passenger also suffered minor injuries in the early-morning accident on the Fairview-bound lane of Commonwealth Avenue, near the Sandiganbayan.

Police said the fatality, Alfonso Mallari, had IDs indicating he worked for the Bureau of Customs and a resident of Filinvest 1 Subdivision in Batasan Hills, also in Quezon City. Mallari suffered serious head injuries and was declared dead on arrival at East Avenue Medical Center.

PO2 Alfredo Moises of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) Commonwealth traffic sector said he was still verifying whether Mallari lost control of his Honda Civic (UEK-101) after having a cardiac arrest.

The victim was unconscious and frothing in the mouth when pulled out of the wreckage, Moises said.

The cab driver identified as Rodelio Cabotaje of the OiF taxi (UVK-531) and his passenger, whose name was not immediately known, also received treatment for bruises and contusions at East Avenue.

Moises said that Mallari’s Honda Civic suddenly veered towards the center island around 6 a.m, and crossed over to the opposite lane.

The car first hit an Isuzu D-Max pickup before sideswiping a Toyota Innova, a Mitsubishi Adventure, and then Cabotaje’s taxi.