5-car pile up strands commuters on NLEX

A five-car collision at the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) in Valenzuela City caused heavy traffic for Manila-bound vehicles early morning yesterday.

Valenzuela City police traffic chief Inspector Erwin de Guzman said the incident occurred at NLEX’s Kilometer 15 at around 6:30 a.m.

Nobody was reported hurt but several passengers, many of them on the way to work or school, were stranded and forced to walk down the highway, slowing down traffic.

Senior Police Officer 1 Albert Verano, Valenzuela police traffic investigator, said a passenger bus bumped a gray Toyota Corolla (ZDW-680) driven by nursing student Marissa Concepcion, a resident of Plaridel, Bulacan.

“Nobody was able to jot down the plate number of the wayward passenger bus,” Verano told The STAR.

Verano said that as Concepcion, 24, was forced to a full stop, three other vehicles following her – a red Toyota Innova (ZLC-817), two RJ Express passenger buses (TAS-696, PES-888) collided.

“None of the buses’ passengers were hurt (and neither were) the occupants of the two other cars, but all the vehicles involved incurred damages,” Verano said.

Verano said nobody intends to file charges since each vehicle is covered by an insurance policy.

“Those involved agreed to settle their vehicles’ damages through their respective insurance firms,” he said.