A deadly crash unfolded at the Tarlac City Toll Plaza along the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) on Thursday, leaving 10 people dead—including four children—and injuring more than 37 others.
The calamity began when a bus slammed into a van waiting in line to pay toll fees. The van was then thrust into a compact SUV, which in turn crashed into a tractor head. The tractor head collided with yet another compact SUV, creating a horrifying chain reaction.
Police Lt. Col. Romel Santos, head of the Tarlac Provincial Police Office, confirmed the death toll and the extent of injuries. The victims were trapped and crushed inside the two vehicles caught in the middle of the pileup. Among the fatalities were a couple whose infant miraculously survived the horrific impact.
In total, eight died and one was injured from the van, while two died and one was hurt in one of the compact SUVs. The bus itself had 35 passengers and personnel wounded, including its driver and conductor.
Authorities have already taken the bus driver into custody. He reportedly admitted to dozing off at the wheel, sparking the catastrophic collision. The bus, operated by Solid North Transit Inc., initiated the deadly domino effect when it barreled into the line of waiting vehicles.
Marvin Guiang, head of the Tarlac Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, described the severe devastation: “The impact was so powerful that the victims inside the two ‘sandwiched’ vehicles were totally crushed.”
In response to the tragedy, Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon has ordered the immediate suspension of Solid North Transit by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).
The full story continues to unfold as investigations deepen and authorities hold the bus company accountable for this heart-wrenching loss of lives on the road.
