TEN people died and 37 others were injured in a smash-up involving five vehicles at the SCTEX (Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway) exit toll plaza in Tarlac City yesterday.
The incident, which occurred at around 3:30 a.m., was caused by a passenger Yotung bus with plate number UVK-941 driven by Teodoro Merjan, who apparently fell asleep, according to the Central Luzon regional police office.
It said the bus, traveling northbound, slammed into a Nissan Urban van, propelling the van into a KIA Sonet sports utility vehicle (SUV), which hit a tractor head.
Police said that as a result, the tractor head slammed into a Toyota Velos.
Police said eight of the fatalities were passengers of the van. The two other fatalities were aboard the KIA Sonet.
Thirty-five of the 37 injured victims were bus passengers, while the two others were in the Nissan van and KIA Sonet.
Police said the injured victims were brought to the Tarlac Provincial Hospital.
Marvin Guiang, head of the Tarlac Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, told a radio interview that 12 died in the accident, including six children.
Guiang said 26 were injured, 25 of them bus passengers.
Tarlac City police chief Lt. Col. Romel Santos said the bus driver was arrested and detained at the Tarlac City police station.
Santos said the driver is facing further investigation, pending the filing of charges against him.
Citing the results of the initial investigation, Santos said the bus driver fell asleep, causing the bus to hit another vehicle.
