BY: VANESSA BUGTONG
Ten people were killed and 30 others injured after a passenger bus rammed into three SUVs and a container truck along the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) in Tarlac City on May 1.
According to authorities, the Solid North Transit Inc. bus crashed into vehicles that had already slowed down near the northbound toll plaza of SCTEX, just 50 meters from the Tarlac City exit.
Marvin Guiang of the Tarlac City PDRRMO explained what happened.
“A Nissan Urvan got sandwiched between the speeding bus and an 18-wheeler truck,” Guiang said. “The impact was so strong it pushed the vehicles in front, and unfortunately, eight of the nine passengers inside the van died instantly.”
Initial investigations suggest the bus driver may have fallen asleep.
“The driver admitted he dozed off,” Guiang shared. “One of the passengers even shouted to wake him up saying, ‘We’re about to crash!’ But it was too late.”
The bus struck three SUVs and a van, resulting in ten fatalities—eight from the van and two from one of the SUVs.
Over 30 passengers were injured, most of whom were aboard the bus.
Emergency teams had difficulty retrieving bodies from the van due to the severe crumpling of the vehicle.
“The victims were compacted inside,” Guiang said. “We had a hard time extricating them because they were all crushed together and our tools might have hit the bodies.”
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has since issued a 30-day suspension order on 15 units of Solid North Transit Inc. operating the Lingayen-Cubao route.
Authorities including the LTO, MMDA, and PNP-HPG have been directed to impound any of the listed buses still operating during the suspension period.
LTFRB Chairman Atty. Teofilo Guadiz III also instructed the Passenger Accident Management and Insurance Agency (PAMI) to release 400,000 pesos in indemnification for each deceased victim and 200,000 pesos for injured passengers who were not aboard the bus.
Solid North Transit Inc. has vowed to comply with all directives from the Department of Transportation and the LTFRB, including road safety seminars, drug tests for drivers, and vehicle inspections for the affected units.
