2 dead, 2 hurt as truck rams gas station

MANILA, Philippines - Two men were killed and two others were injured when a truck hit a gasoline station in Valenzuela City before dawn yesterday.

Truck driver Ramon Gabayan, 52, and 21-year-old gasoline station attendant Jonathan Maquel died on the spot while van driver Raymond Pulay, 26, and gasoline station checker Tomas Martin dela Rama, 52, were rushed to the nearby Valenzuela General Hospital.

According to Valenzuela’s traffic division, Gabayan was reportedly speeding along McArthur Highway at around 2 a.m. when his gravel and sand delivery truck hit a van, driven by Pulay, that was refueling at the station.

The van hit the gasoline dispenser, triggering a fire and toppling the cashier’s booth, where Dela Rama was stationed, investigators said. Maquel, who was assisting the driver of the van when the accident happened, suffered third-degree burns all over his body.

Fire Officer 3 Walter Fermalino said Gabayan’s truck hit a trailer truck loaded with plywood before it hit the van and the gasoline station.

Investigators theorized that Gabayan could have fallen asleep at the wheel.