Tarlac City, Philippines — Tragedy struck on Thursday as a horrific multi-vehicle collision at the Tarlac City Toll Plaza on the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway resulted in the deaths of twelve individuals, including six children. Over twenty others sustained injuries in the chaotic aftermath of the accident, prompting an immediate response from emergency services.
Authorities reported that the incident began when a bus collided with a van waiting in line at the toll plaza. The force of the bus’s impact prompted a chain reaction, with the van crashing into a compact SUV, which in turn slammed into a tractor head. Following this collision, the tractor head hit another compact SUV in the queue.
Police Lt. Col. Romel Santos, head of the Tarlac Provincial Police Office, provided crucial details about the casualties. Ten individuals from the van perished, alongside two from the SUV involved. Among those lost, six were children, heightening the heart-wrenching nature of the incident. The driver of the van remains in critical condition.
Witness reports indicate that the bus driver, who has been taken into custody, admitted to dozing off prior to the crash. This revelation adds another layer of complexity to the ongoing investigation into the catastrophic incident.
Marvin Guiang, director of the Tarlac Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, noted that a couple tragically lost their lives; however, their infant child survived the collision. “Among the survivors were the driver of the van and the baby who was in the car,” Guiang explained. “Passengers on the bus seemed to have escaped with minor injuries.”
The sheer impact of the collision was devastating, according to officials. “The victims in the two vehicles were completely crushed, as they were sandwiched together during the crash,” Santos added, emphasizing the severity of the situation.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the bus, owned by Solid North Transit Inc., initiated the disastrous sequence of events. It struck the van, which led to a domino effect involving three additional vehicles stopped at the toll booth.
As investigations continue, GMA News Online has sought a statement from the bus company regarding the tragic event. Meanwhile, traffic flow along the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway has since returned to normal, allowing for a clearing of the chaotic scene.
As this community grapples with the profound loss, the sobering reality of the accident serves as a somber reminder of the dangers on the road. Authorities are committed to thorough investigations to prevent similar tragedies in the future.