‘Speeding’ bus rams vehicles on Taft Avenue, 9 hurt
THE passenger bus incurs significant damage after it crashed into nine other vehicles — five motorcycles, three MPVs, and a van — along Taft Avenue near Pedro Gil on Tuesday night. Reports said that at least nine individuals were injured in the incident.
Photograph courtesy of Manila Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office
Nine people were injured Tuesday evening after a passenger bus slammed into at least eight vehicles along Taft Avenue, authorities said Wednesday.
Closed-circuit television footage of the incident showed the bus traveling at high speed, striking several cars and knocking over motorcycle riders.
The Manila Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) reported that the nine victims received first aid for various injuries at the scene.
Witness Chax Louie Testa said the bus hit a Light Rail Transit (LRT) post before plowing into traffic. “I saw him plow into other cars, even motorcycles. He really crashed into a lot of vehicles,” Testa said.
One of the victims, Elie Sungahid, was driving a white multi-purpose vehicle from Binondo toward Pasay when the bus struck his car. Sungahid sustained a head injury, while his passenger suffered an arm injury from shattered glass.
“When I turned around, the bus was already in front of me,” Sungahid said. “I just screamed.”
An initial investigation suggests the bus may have experienced a brake failure. The driver is currently in the custody of the Manila Police District’s Traffic Enforcement Unit as the investigation continues. Authorities have not yet permitted the media to interview the driver.
Ariel Completo, a local village official from Barangay 669, urged bus drivers to exercise more caution on the busy thoroughfare. “Brake failure is always the excuse,” Completo said. “I hope bus drivers... slow down in that area to avoid accidents.”
The driver faces potential charges of reckless imprudence resulting in multiple physical injuries and damage to property.