Pickup hangs from edge of Skyway

Photo by Mon Cabreira

Driving in torrential rain can be dangerous, as one motorist has found out the hard way–on the Skyway, no less. While traveling on the elevated highway Wednesday afternoon, the driver of a Mitsubishi Strada pickup skidded and plowed into the concrete outer guardrail of the Skyway near the Bicutan exit, tail first. The pickup nearly fell off the highway, with its rear wheel already hanging in the air. Thankfully, most of the pickup’s mass was still on the highway, and the pickup stayed on the road. The accident occurred amidst heavy rains brought by the southwest monsoon or habagat.

In a Twitter advisory, the Skyway management said a Mitsubishi Strada figured in an accident on the southbound lane of Skyway at 3:30 p.m.

It said the driver of the vehicle was safe. The vehicular accident, it said, had caused heavy traffic in the area.

The car has been cleared from the highway shortly before 4 p.m.

The accident raises the question whether the Skyway’s guardrails are adequate. The Mitsubishi Strada, a light pickup, already had sufficient momentum to breach the guardrail. A heavier vehicle could go over the guardrail more easily. In December 2013, a bus operated by Don Mariano Transit plunged off the Skyway into traffic below, killing 21 persons. –NC/RC

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