CEBU, Philippines - One died and four were injured in an eight-vehicle road mishap at the national highway in barangay Tungkop, Minglanilla town the other night.
According the traffic investigator SPO2 Renato Masangkay, the accident was caused by a Carcar-bound minibus with plate number GXA-324 driven by Isagani Tanudtanud, which rear ended a cargo truck loaded with soft drinks.
Masangkay said that the truck owned by Coca-Cola Bottlers with plate number TCK 311 and driven by Roel Pepito Delicano was coming out from the inner portion of barangay Estaca of the same town going to the highway when the allegedly speeding minibus caught its rear.
“Ang minibus di kaayo kasud, pero nipugos man maong naigo ang lubot sa cargo truck,” the police officer said.
The cargo truck then hit a minicab, which was parked at that time in front of a bakeshop.
The Fuso Canter minibus continued to careen and hit another minicab, which was also parked near the first one that was hit. The vehicle also hit a bicycle of a balut vendor before hitting a parked Hyundai van bearing plate number YDZ-934 that also hit three motorcycles for hire.
The minibus also damaged the residence of the Castañares family.
While the minibus was careening, its conductor, Melchor Larosa, 34, of Tuyom, Carcar, fell off the vehicle and sustained fatal injuries.
The conductor was declared dead on arrival at the nearby South General Hospital.
Those injured were identified as Minerva Dominga, 62, a resident of Carmenville, Tunghaan, Minglanilla; Ronnel Alter Ceneres, 15, of Lagang, Carcar; Raul Lamit Gimeda, 46 of Tinaan, Naga; and Rogelio Deroy, 30 of Tagunol, Cebu City.
Deroy is the driver of the second minicab that was hit. The minibus was reportedly owned by Carmen Cabrera of North Poblacion, San Fernando.
The Minglanilla Police said that everything was in disarray when they reached the scene of the accident and could not easily place where the injured were riding or how many passengers to minibus carried during the incident.
The driver of the minibus, who hails from Carcar surrendered to their town’s police yesterday and was immediately brought to the Minglanilla Police Station while for the filing of charges against him.
Reynaldo Capa, the balut vendor, as well as the owners of the damaged residence and the bakeshop are all asking for payment for the damage wrought by the accident.
Capa said that he lost P1,400 worth of his balut aside from the damage to his bicycle.
The speeding minibuses have been tagged by many motorists and commuters alike as a major safety threat on the highways.
This incident is the second one in the area in the span of just a little over a month.
On March 28, a minibus of EDC Liner collided head on with a ten-wheeler truck resulting to the death of 14 people.
Based on the records of the Minglanilla Police, practically everyday there are vehicular accidents in their area.
Last Wednesday, a Toyota Tamaraw FX was hit by a Honda sedan while traveling on the highway. The day before that too, a young boy was the victim of a hit-and-run incident.
PO2 Avelino Selloria of the Minglanilla Police said most of the cases reported involve motorcycles which are driven by inexperienced drivers. Most of the time, the drivers also immediately flee the scene. — with Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon/NLQ (THE FREEMAN)