MARILAO, Bulacan—The 54 year old victim who was killed in Marilao bridge-cargo trailer truck-Asian Utility Vehicle (AUV) accident along the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) had saved his two year old grandaughter from death, officials said on Friday.
Marilao police chief Col. Eulogio Lamqui III said Bong Chua, 54, from Metro Manila was pronounced dead on arrival (DOA) at Joni Villanueva Hospital in Bocaue where he and six other passengers of
Mitsubishi Adventure that overturned along the northbound lane of the NLEX were brought for treatment of their injuries.
Lamqui told NEWSCORE that Chua embraced his 2 ywar old grandaughter and shielded her from a metal beam of Marilao bridge that fell and hit their vehicle. Both the victim and the toddler are seated at the back third row of the Adventure.
“The beam directly hit him as he covered his grandchild seated beside him. He was seated at the back, the exact direction the beam fell,” Lamqui said.
Chua with his grandaughter and four other family members were on board a colored red Mitsubishi Adventure registered as PBI 418, driven by Christopher Dave De Guzman and was traversing the northbound lane of NLEX in Marilao at around 12:00 noon when suddenly an overheight Trailer Container Truck driven by Roy Taporco Macalisang bumped the bottom portion of Marilao bridge.
As a result, a beam of the bridge collapsed and fell hitting the Adventure that is traversing next after the trailer container truck.
Lamqui said Macalisang was arrested by responding NLEX personnel and is now facing charges of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide, multiple injuries and damage to property. He is now detained at Marilao police detention facility.
Four other injured victims remain in the hospital as of Friday. The toddler had been released from the hospital on Thursday while the driver of the AUV had sustained minor injuries.
