Wayward truck runs over kids: 2 dead, 9 hurt in road mishap

CEBU, Philippines – Two died, including a 10-year-old girl, while nine others were injured after a truck ran over a group of students and hit a motorcycle and a minicab on the highway of barangay Don Andres Soriano, Toledo City yesterday noon.

The fatalities were identified as Ma. Teresa Tatoy, a grade four student of Don Andres Soriano Elementary School and Cerilo Labastida, 30, a resident of Balamban town.

The nine injured were identified as Arthlyn Clair Wagas, 12; Enrique Repunte, 11; Treshea Villareno, 11; John Michael Tatoy, 6; Jerome Montebon, 50; Jose Samdy Perez, 64, a tanod; Maria Angelica Macapobre, 20, practicum teacher; Glory Pardillo, 15, and Charles Jay Serad, 8.

The truck bearing plate number GEK-214 owned by Ray Godinez Yuson and driven by Richard Villarmia was on its way to Cebu City coming from Toledo when the accident happened.

A witness said that the truck was going downhill and the driver was not able to apply the brakes when the tanod, Perez, signaled for him to stop as children were cross-ing the road.

The truck ran over the children and also hit a red Honda XRM motorcycle with plate number 6656-GP driven by Montebon and a yellow-green mini cab with plate number YCN-233 driven by Labastida.

One of the witnesses said that she saw the truck running fast and she even wondered why the driver did not slow down even if there was a sign that reminded the driv-ers to slow down and shift to low gear.

Rogelio Gabrillo, who witnessed the incident said, that Perez was helping three kids cross the street. When the tanod sensed that the truck was not stopping, he pushed the kids to safety and managed to save two of them.

The third, Ma. Teresa Tatoy, held on to Perez and both of them were ran over by the truck.

The child died on the spot, while the tanod is now in serious condition at the Cebu South General Hospital in Naga.

Sheila Laayon, a teacher of DAS Elementary School said, "Paglabang namo, igo lang jud mi nakalabang sa atbang, unya tung truck murag nagsayaw-sayaw gani na murag nag-zigzag-zigzag."

She said that she saw Perez signaling for the truck to slow down as some of the students were crossing the street, but she noticed that the look on the face of Perez changed as he realized that the truck will not stop.

Laayon said that she saw the tanod and some of the students were dragged by the said truck. And the motorcycle parked was also hit together with its driver.

People nearby immediately rushed to help to bring the victims to the hospital.

Truck driver Villarmia told the media that before the accident occurred, a vehicle ahead of him stopped, so he tried to apply the brakes, but he said that they did not work. So instead of hitting the side of the road, he decided to go straight.

He also said that he was not driving fast.

"Dili mahitabo na kusug ako dagan kay naa man nakabutang na slow down. Mga 30-40 ra ako dagan," Villarmia added.

SPO1 Anaclito Yang, traffic investigator said that basing on what they saw from the scene, it was obvious that the truck was travelling fast.

Jovenal Martelo, mechanic of the said truck and was sitting on the passenger side told the police that Villarmia told him that he had a fight with his parents-in-law.

Yang also said that it was not mechanical trouble but human error.

The traffic enforcer, who brought the said truck to the station, said that the brakes were working fine.

Villarmia will be facing charges of reckless imprudence resulting to homicide with multiple physical injury and damage to property.

Anicita, 45, mother of Ma. Teresa, said that she was shocked when she was told by her neighbor that two of her children were involved in an accident.

Labastida, the other fatality, was with his wife and his 7-year-old daughter.

Cyril Shane said that they parked beside the school since the engine of their mini cab overheated. She said she was standing beside the road with her mother while her father was on the passenger side and was about to cross the road to buy water when the truck appeared.

She said that she can not remember exactly what happened. She added that they were heading to Cebu City to get NBI clearance as they were supposed to go abroad.

She said that her father was working as a painter in Australia. Cyril sustained bruises on her right elbow after she fell into a ditch.

Eight of those injured were brought to the South General Hospital in Naga and one to the Cebu Doctors Hospital in Cebu City.

Other Mishaps

At least seven people were injured in separate vehicular accidents in Cebu City yesterday.

Five were hurt when an Isuzu Elf truck driven by Jonathan Andimor fell on its side near the SRP Baywalk in barangay Mambaling around 6 p.m.

Andimor allegedly made a sudden right turn forcing the vehicle to fall to its side.

The driver escaped without injuries.

His passengers, who were only hitch-hiking, identified as Edgar Ygot, 41; Louie Cañete, 30; Crizaldo Tumulak, 40; Rommel Ozman, 39; and Warren Gasatas, 37 were hurt.

None of them, however, waited for the responding paramedics.

Meanwhile, two women manning an eatery were hurt after a passenger jeepney hit the structure in corner Panganiban and Sanciangko Sts., barangay Pahina Central at around 2 p.m.

The jeepney did not directly hit Amanida Catipay, 56 and Jean Rosales, 31, who are stay-in workers of the said eatery.

They were injured when the structure collapsed after it was hit by the jeepney driven by Henner Cabajar.

The victims were rushed to the nearby Cebu City Medical Center with bruises.

Cabajar will face criminal charges following the incident. - with Niña G. Sumacot/NLQ (FREEMAN)