10 dead, dozens hurt in SCTEX toll plaza multiple-vehicle collision

Ten persons, including four children, were killed while more than 37 others were injured in a multiple-vehicle collision at the Tarlac City Toll Plaza on the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway on Thursday.

Police Lt. Col. Romel Santos, chief of the Tarlac Provincial Police Office, told Super Radyo dzBB that a bus hit a van that was already in the payment queue at the toll gate. The van then hit a compact SUV, which then crashed into the tractor head in its front.

The tractor head then hit another compact SUV in the payment line.

Santos told GMA News Online that there were 10 dead and 37 injured because of the accident. Four of the fatalities were children.

He corrected his earlier statement that there were 12 dead and that six of them were children.

Police investigation showed there were eight dead and one injured from the van, and two dead and one injured from the compact SUV.

Thirty-five were hurt from the bus, including its driver and the conductor.

Santos said the bus driver has been taken into custody. He said the bus driver claimed that he dozed off behind the wheel.

Marvin Guiang, head of Tarlac Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, said a couple was among those who died. Their baby survived. 

“Doon po sa dalawang sasakyan, sa Urvan, nakaligtas po yung driver at sa kotse naman po yung isang baby na bata. Sa bus naman po, puro minor injuries lang yun naano nila,” said Guiang told Super Radyo dzBB.

(Among the survivors were the driver of the Urvan and the baby inside the car. Meanwhile, the bus passengers only suffered minor injuries.) 

“Sobra po yung impact ng pagkakabangga, talagang totally crushed po yung mga biktima natin doon sa dalawang sasakyan na na-sandwich po,” he added. 

(The impact of the collision was so great, our victims were completely crushed in the two vehicles that were sandwiched together.) 

Santos said that the investigation showed that the bus of Solid North Transit Inc. was the first to hit the van in the queue in the toll plaza which caused a domino effect. 

“Ito pong bus, yung Solid North Transit Inc., ito po yung bumangga sa apat na vehicles na nakahinto na po sa toll plaza ng SCTEX, waiting po doon sa payment nila sa toll booth po nila. And pagdating po nitong Solid North Transit, unang binangga niya ay yung Nissan Urvan. Yung Nissan Urvan naman po binangga niya po yung Kia Sonet. Yung Kia Sonet binangga naman niya yung tractor head. Yung tractor head binangga naman niya yung Toyota Veloz,” he said. 

(The bus of Solid North Transit Inc. was the one who hit the four other vehicles that were in the queue in the toll plaza of SCTEX while waiting for their turn in the toll booth. After the bus hit the Nissan Urvan, the latter hit a Kia Sonet. The Kia Sonet eventually hit the tractor head, and the tractor head hit a Toyota Veloz.) 

GMA News Online is trying to get a comment from the bus company.

Meanwhile, Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon has ordered the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to immediately issue a suspension order against Solid North Bus, following the fatal road crash in SCTEX earlier today.  –NB, GMA Integrated News