Open manhole spurs van-jeep collision

Two persons were injured when a passenger jeepney collided with a school van for trying to avoid an open manhole in Caloocan City early yesterday.

Police identified the victims as Rowena Salvador, 26, and one Celia Salvador, both passengers of a school van with license plate PEX-982.

Officer-on-case SPO2 Ricardo Chua, of the Caloocan City Traffic Enforcement Group, said the incident occurred at about 4:30 a.m. while the passenger jeepney driven by Miguel Sanes, 62, of Duhat Street, Barangay Karuhatan, Valenzuela City, hit the victims’ vehicle while traversing the dimly-lit portion of EDSA-Monumento in front of the Caltex gasoline station.

Chua said Sanes lost control of his vehicle (TBD-879) when he tried to evade an open manhole and collided with the van driven by Jun Salvador, which was cruising alongside his passenger jeepney.

The sudden impact of the collision threw the van’s passengers from their seats, causing injuries in different parts of their bodies, Chua said. The victims were brought to the nearby Manila Central University (MCU) Hospital but were later released after being treated of their injuries.

According to Chua the victims blamed the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for not attending to the open manhole which has been the subject of complaints by motorists passing the area. – Pete Laude