CEBU, Philippines - A man died while his companion was wounded after the car they were both riding in rammed onto railings shortly after midnight yesterday along Governor Cuenco Avenue, barangay Banilad, Cebu City.
Catalino Amoro Godornes, 54, of barangay Cabangcalan, Mandaue City was declared dead on arrival at the hospital while his companion, Robert Ryan Yap, 21, of North Town Homes Subdivision in Talamban was injured and rushed to a separate hospital.
Investigation conducted by PO3 Armando Bañoc of the Cebu City Traffic Group showed that the victim was driving his Toyota Altis Sedan with plate numbers YEM-668 heading for home from barangay Guadalupe when he overtook a taxicab and lost control of the vehicle.
The reportedly overspeeding car rammed onto the railings of the center island in the area. Sharp edges of a steel pipe hit Godornes in the abdomen and wounded Yap.
Reportedly because of the impact, two blocks of the railings were totally damaged. The steel pipe that was part of the destroyed blocks hit the front portion of the vehicle and subsequently Godornes, fatally wounding him.
He was taken to the Chong Hua Hospital where he was declared dead on arrival by attending physicians while Yap, also injured, was rushed to the Cebu Doctors Hospital.
Meanwhile, four people were badly wounded after three cars figured in an accident yesterday noon.
Kenneth Christian Matura, 19, admitted that while he was driving his Mitsubishi Estrada from V. Rama Avenue going to barangay Labangon, he felt drowsy.
Those injured were identified as Nestor Acbayan, Aldin Tapaya, Gonzalo Wagas, Buenvenido Mainit, the driver of a public utility jeepney, and an unidentified teenager.
Bañoc said that Matura was the first to have collided onto the PUJ driven by Mainit. But because of the impact, the vehicle turned around and hit Acbayan, Tapaya and Wagas; also hitting a Pajero parked nearby; a store, and then a parked motorcycle.
Bañoc added that Matura tested positive in the liquor test immediately done after the incident.
Further, five persons were injured after the mini bus they were riding on bumped onto a post of a skywalk in barangay Basak, this city, the other afternoon.
Hurt were passengers Ina Cabanes, 27, and Erlinda Campucan, 57, both from Carcar; Jerryville Dumdum, 25 from Naga; Elizabeth Stiverot, 27 from Balamban; and Marivic Esbra, 40, from San Fernando. They were rushed to the Cebu City Medical Center.
The unidentified driver of the JBH-Trans Minibus with plate numbers GWX-759, plying the Carcar-Cebu and vice versa route, fled the area and is still at large.
SPO1 Dionesio Galo, investigator from the Cebu City Traffic Division, said that the minibus is on its way to Cebu City from Carcar. He said that the driver might have also been overspeeding. The driver will be facing reckless imprudence resulting to multiple injuries as well as damage to property.
The owner of the said mini bus was also a no-show at the city traffic office yesterday. — Niña G. Sumacot and Johanna T. Natavio/MEEV (THE FREEMAN)