19 vehicles pile up in C5-Ortigas flyover accident; motorcycle rider dies

One person died when 19 cars and trucks smashed into one another on the C5-Ortigas flyover, Super Radyo dzBB reported on Tuesday.

19 na sasakyan, nagkarambola sa C5-Ortigas flyover. #SuperBalitaSaTanghaliNationwide pic.twitter.com/O1eQQMNcgd

— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) July 25, 2017

A motorcycle rider died after being caught in the multiple collisions which occurred at 10:45 a.m.

FLASH: Motorcycle rider na nasangkot sa karambola ng 19 na sasakyan sa C5 Ortigas flyover kaninang umaga, namatay na. | via @glenjuego pic.twitter.com/8vU9a8XHx3

— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) July 25, 2017

It was not immediately clear if the person who died was the same motorcycle rider who was rushed to The Medical City after he was tossed off his bike on impact and was run over by several vehicles. 

Another rider was rushed to St. Luke's Medical Center while other drivers received first aid and remained on the scene.

The Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) tweeted the total closure of the northbound side.

It added that only two lanes southbound are now passable because of the pileup.

MMDA UPDATE: As of 12:37 PM, total closure of C5 Ortigas F/O NB due to multiple collision. SB 2 lanes passable.Take alternate routes.  #mmda

— Official MMDA (@MMDA) July 25, 2017

In his report on Balitanghali DzBB's Manny Vargas said the chain-reaction crash strarted when a 10-wheeler truck carrying sacks of wheat skins lost its brakes while trying to turn out of a busy lane.

The truck hit the vehicles in front of it, including two to three motorcycles.

Juan Mirabuena Esteban, the driver of the truck originally headed for Laguna, said he tried to get out of the lane at the top of the flyover due to heavy traffic but had already lost control of the brakes and smashed into the cars in front of him on the way down.

He immediately surrendered to Pasig City police out of fear that he will get heavier charges if he fled.

The MMDA advised drivers to take alternative routes as traffic has now reached Taguig City around the Market Market area. —Rie Takumi/KG/KVD, GMA News