13 hurt as jeepney hits tree

MANILA, Philippines - At least 13 people were hurt when a passenger jeepney lost its brakes and rammed a tree in Mandaluyong City yesterday.

The victims are being treated at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center, said traffic enforcer Nelson Villanueva of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority.

Josua Conson was driving the jeepney (DGI-804) along Ortigas Avenue’s westbound lane when the vehicle’s brakes failed at around 8 a.m., investigators said.

To stop the jeepney, Concon maneuvered it to hit a tree along the center island. The vehicle fell to its side upon impact.

The front of the jeepney was wrecked, its two front tires and front passenger seats destroyed.

Concon, who denied speeding, was subjected to physical examination to determine whether he was drunk at the time of the incident, which caused a traffic gridlock along Connecticut street, Villanueva said.

The Mandaluyong police traffic bureau is preparing charges of reckless imprudence resulting in multiple injuries against Concon before the city’s prosecutors’ office.