26 killed in two tollway accidents

Twenty-six people were killed in two separate vehicular accidents along Coastal Road in Parañaque City and the North Luzon Expressway in Bocaue, Bulacan early yesterday morning.

In Parañaque, 14 people burned to death and three others were injured after a speeding diesel tanker crashed into a parked jeepney and four other vehicles before bursting into flames in front of Fisherman’s Wharf along Coastal Road.

Chief Inspector Leonides Perez, Parañaque fire department chief, identified four of the fatalities as Shirley Flamenticar, 13, a student of Emilio Aguinaldo High School; Maria Rena Benig, 21; and Luciano Lozada and his wife, Rosie, all residents of Imus, Cavite.

Superintendent Edgardo Gueco, Philippine National Police medico-legal division chief, said two of the victims were recognized through their partially burned identification cards.

They were Danilo Benguelo, 36, of Golden City Subdivision in Imus, Cavite; and Cherrie Lomingtigan, a student of Emilio Aguinaldo College.

Gueco said the eight other victims were burned beyond recognition and could only be identified through their dental records as no identification cards were found at the scene to determine their names.

Perez said those injured – Joseph Alejandro, Glicera Rea and Efren Taglay – were taken to the Philippine General Hospital in Manila.

Superintendent Ronald Estilles, Parañaque police chief, told reporters yesterday the tanker’s driver, identified as Gilbert Galeron of Pandacan, Manila, fled the scene after the accident and has not been located.

However, The STAR learned that Galeron’s employers are set to surrender him to Parañaque City Mayor Joey Marquez so he can face any charge that would be filed against him in court.

Charrie Cruz, who owns a restaurant near the accident scene, told reporters the tanker skidded after a tire burst and crashed into a pavement lined with parked vehicles and people waiting for a ride.

"The victims were burned like charcoal," she said. "We saw one person in flames running away from the scene. The fire was so huge, its red and blue flames crackled with what smelled like gas and tire burning."

In Bocaue, 12 people died and 12 others seriously injured after a cargo truck collided with a passenger bus along Kilometer 27 in North Luzon Expressway

Superintendent Osmar Israel, Bocaue police chief, identified 11 of the victims as Francisco Tamayo, Amelito Lederas, Raymond Magayon, Henry Dantes, Sergio Gaspar, Gaudencio Bernabe, Melancio Rodriguez, Teofilo Dansing, Juanito Buenaventura, Ronaldo Bantic, and bus driver Cesar Dimla.

Chief Superintendent Enrique Galang, Central Luzon police director, said the injured were Marcos Tecson, 35, of Rock Village in Plaridel, Bulacan; Diego Bandagla, 47, an Army soldier based at Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija; Mamerto Quiritsit, 57, of Cabanatuan City; Virgilio Balino, 26; Orly Mauricio, 47, Cabanatuan City; Teofilo Bensing, of Sta. Rita in Guiguinto, Bulacan; Clarence Sustrido, 22, of Sampaloc, Manila, and Realyn Versosa, 18, of Port Area, Manila; Mel, Zenaida, and Elmer, all surnamed Domingo; and Dieken Batoy.

Police investigators said the bus was on the expressway’s north-bound lane when the Manila-bound cargo truck went out of control and hurtled over the traffic island, and collided with the bus.

Galang said the truck driver might have fallen asleep and lost control of the vehicle, causing it to cross lanes and crash into the bus which was headed for Cabanatuan City.

At Malacañang, President Arroyo said she was "deeply saddened" by the twin accidents and conveyed her condolences to the families of the dead. She also ordered the arrest of those responsible.

"The loss of lives of innocent people could have been avoided had everyone concerned observed proper road safety precautions," she said in a statement.

Dante Lantin, Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) chairman, urged the operators of the passenger bus and jeepney yesterday to give financial assistance to the accident victims as required by their franchises.

"All passenger vehicles are required to insure their passengers," he said. "In case of death, the family of the victim must receive P50,000. For injury, there is a P12,500 insurance compensation."

Lantin warned operators of public utility vehicles that they would be criminally charged and their franchises revoked if they fail to abide by the government’s policy on the giving of financial assistance to victims of vehicular accidents.

The LTFRB is investigating whether the passenger bus and jeepney are insured, he added.

Meanwhile, Las Piñas Rep. Manuel Villar called yesterday for a freeze of petitions for a hike in toll fees in the North and South Luzon Expressways, and the Coastal Road pending the investigation of yesterday’s two accidents.

"If the operators of our highways which charge toll fees cannot even ensure the safety of our motorists they should not even think of charging more," he said.– Rainier Allan Ronda, Ric Sapnu, James Mananghaya, Jaime Laude, Sheila Crisostomo, Marichu Villanueva