7 dead, 5 hurt as 10-wheeler truck rams eatery in Batangas

Seven people were killed and five more were injured after a truck carrying sugarcane plowed through a roadside eatery and five parked vehicles in Taal, Batangas, early Wednesday.

Police identified five of the fatalities as Melencio Atienza, Jennifer Atienza, Cheche Aninio, Susan Hombre and Babylyn Atienza. The two other victims have yet to be identified.

The injured victims were identified as Orly Capuso, Diana Uy, Danilo Mediclum and Baby Lin Torres, who were rushed to the nearest hospital.

According to a report on Balitanghali by Raffy Tima, the chief of police of Taal said two of the fatalities were customers of MJ Eatery — one was the cook, while the others were members of the Atienza family who owned the eatery.

The five vehicles, including cars and motorcycles, hit by the same truck were parked near the eatery.

Joselito Castro, chief of the Batangas Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, said in an interview on Balitanghali that a 10-wheeler truck also carrying sugarcane was traversing a downhill road when its brakes possibly failed. It then slammed into the parked truck, which in turn crashed into the eatery and the five parked vehicles.

The incident happened in Barangay Carsuche at around 5:50 a.m.

The first four identified victims died on the spot, police said.

The municipal disaster officer said that as of posting time, relatives of the victims are being contacted, as well as the owners of the truck.

In a report on QRT, Senior Inspector Ricaredo Dalisay, OIC of the Taal Police, identified the truck driver as Alejandro Villena.

Villena, in his defense, said he went out of the vehicle to take a break, but when he returned, the truck suddenly moved forward and crashed into the parked truck near the eatery.

Dalisay said Villena tried to escape as he was not seen in the place of the incident when authorities conducted their investigation.

However, Villena, who is from Tuy, Batangas, voluntarily surrendered at the police station.

As of posting time, three of those injured have been discharged from the hospital.

Authorities are encouraging the victims to file a case against the truck's driver and  owner. —Jamil Santos/ALG/KG/KBK, GMA News