A truck helper died after being trapped for more than three hours inside the mangled cab of a trailer truck that crashed into a stalled vehicle on the C5-Ortigas flyover late Saturday night.
Initial investigations showed that the collision occurred past 11 p.m. during heavy rainfall along the southbound lane of the flyover in Barangay Ugong.
Reports disclosed that the trailer truck, which was transporting bottles of soft drinks, slammed into the back of a stalled wing van loaded with corn.
The force of the impact crushed the front portion of the moving truck, pinning the helper inside.
Rescue teams spent hours using extrication tools to free the victim from the wreckage. The helper was removed from the damaged vehicle shortly after 2 a.m. Sunday and was taken directly to a funeral home.
Authorities have not yet released the victim’s identity.
The drivers of both vehicles escaped the crash without injuries.
The truck driver told authorities that a light commercial truck overtook his vehicle moments before the collision, blocking his view of the disabled wing van ahead.
However, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority traffic aide Apple Eguia noted that speed and weather conditions likely played a role.
“He did not notice that the vehicle ahead of him was broken down,” Eguia said. “The road was slippery and he was driving fast, which is evident from the impact on the vehicle.”
Eguia urged motorists to exercise caution during inclement weather, reminding drivers to slow down when roads are wet.
The crash scattered beverage bottles across the roadway and left the truck’s cab severely damaged, forcing authorities to close the southbound lane of the flyover.
Emergency crews managed to separate the truck’s cab from its trailer at around 7 a.m.
