1 dead as van falls from Skyway

One person killed while four others were hurt after a van fell off the Skyway and landed on a jeepney along the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) in Pasay City yesterday.

Abner Ditaunan, one of the passengers of the jeepney (DNT-589) being driven by Marcelino Tolentino II, was declared dead on arrival at the Villamor Air Base Hospital.

Ditaunan suffered serious head injuries. Tolentino, Froilan Garcia and Imelda Garcia sustained minor injuries.

Florencio Celada Jr., supervisor of the PNCC Skyway Corp. motorcycle unit, said the jeepney which came from Quezon province. It was on its way to deliver vegetables and fruits when it was hit by an Isuzu Trooper (XDS-431) on the SLEX at 1:50 p.m.

The Trooper had crashed into the railing before falling some 14 meters from the Skyway and hitting the jeepney below.

Randy Danlag, 27, driver of the Isuzu Trooper, suffered a contusion and was rushed to the Villamor Air Base Hospital.

He was later transferred to the Pasay City General Hospital, where he regained consciousness.

Danlag said his vehicle fell from the elevated tollway after being edged off by a Toyota Fortuner near the Nichols interchange. 

The Trooper and Fortuner (ZBH-895), driven by 46-year-old Kenneth Robert Quintal, were on the southbound lane.

Orly Lanuza of the PNCC Skyway Monitoring Center said it was fortunate that when the accident happened, a Muntinlupa City ambulance was in the area.