11 hurt as Edsa bus hits another

Two passenger buses figured in an accident on the northbound lane of Edsa Sunday morning, leaving 11 people injured.

An initial report from the Makati Traffic Bureau said that a Precious Grace bus with plate number UVH 567 slammed into the back of a JAC Liner bus (UVW 955) at 7:40 a.m. on Edsa corner Pasay Road. According to the Precious Grace driver, the brakes failed which made him lose control of the vehicle.

Seven riders in the JAC Liner bus, including a mother and her 9-year-old son, suffered minor injuries as a result of the impact. Lolita de Lenia and son Nico John were taken to the Ospital ng Makati (OsMak), along with five others who were not identified by hospital officials. All of them were seated at the back of the bus.

On the other hand, four passengers of the Precious Grace bus were hurt. Carlos Dequiña and his two daughters, Rochelle and Mary Rose, sustained abrasions and were immediately treated by a rescue team of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) at the scene of the accident.

As a precaution, however, they were taken to OsMak for a checkup. Another passenger of the bus identified as Amorcena delas Alas was also treated for minor injuries.

Traffic investigators said in a report that the brakes of the Malanday-bound Precious Grace bus malfunctioned, causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle which slammed into the back of the JAC Liner bus which was waiting for the traffic light to turn green at the intersection of Edsa and Pasay Road in Makati City.

Banjo Fetizanan of the MMDA Metrobase told the Inquirer that the accident happened very fast and their closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras were not able to capture it.

“The CCTV cameras on Edsa captured the buses [only] after the collision,” Fetizanan said, noting that an MMDA rescue team was immediately sent to the area.

Precious Grace bus driver Romano Parena told the police that he had instructed his passengers to brace themselves and hold on to the safety rails when he found out that his vehicle’s brakes were not working. He said that the four people who were injured apparently did not hear his instructions as they were seated far from him.

Due to the impact, the windshield of the Precious Grace bus was shattered while the rear portion of the JAC Liner was damaged. Parena and JAC Liner bus driver Alex Villanueva were taken into custody by members of the Makati Traffic Bureau pending an investigation of the incident.