21 injured in predawn accident on Coastal Road

At least 21 persons were injured after a trailer truck that was cut off by a car swerved and hit two passenger jeepneys along the Coastal Road at the boundary of Metro Manila and Cavite before dawn Saturday. Radio dzRH reported that one of the passengers, who was not immediately identified, was seriously injured, but doctors refused to give further details. The driver of the trailer truck, initially identified as Jun Pahinaga, 25, claimed he was forced to swerve after a car cut him off and suddenly slowed down. Initial reports identified the injured as Alejandro Roco; Ona Foster, 57; Lucila Pugadora, 49; Reggie dela Torre, 16; Maria Antonia Castillo, 55; Randy Ocidenta, 27; Gemma Sanchez, 24; Ferdinand Bacardo, 25; Artemio Salazar, 37; Vicente Lugasan, 56; Joey Vinuan, 31; Miguelito Tagle 54; Jeremy, 33; Jam Dacuz, 20; Maritess Sahili, 43; Allan Latuga, 34; Nixon Fuentes, 37; Gilbert Paulino, 25; Carlito Octaviano, 55; and Evelyn Andres, 33. Also injured was Nicolas Honorbida, the driver of the passenger jeep. All the injured were rushed to the San Juan de Dios Hospital. Initial investigation showed that the incident took place at 5 a.m. near the Las Piñas City portion of Coastal Road, when Pahinaga’s truck slammed into Honorbida’s jeep. The impact caused the jeep to hit another passenger jeep. Pahinaga said he was traveling northbound along Coastal Road, with a 40-foot container van from the Export Processing Zonein Cavite to the pier in Manila. He said a car suddenly overtook him then immediately slowed down, forcing him to swerve to the right, hitting the Baclaran-bound jeep driven by Honorbida. - GMANews.TV