12 injured in vehicular accidents

CEBU, Philippines - Five persons were hurt and brought to the hospital after a collision which took place at the Lapu-Lapu City side of the Marcelo Fernan bridge yesterday dawn.

Based on the investigation conducted by the Lapu-Lapu City Traffic Division, the Mitsubishi Strada with plate number YEF-584 driven by Noel Delila, 27, single, of brgy. Pit-os,Cebu City, with his passenger Kazer Roland Lobeti, 24, single also of Cebu city were heading towards Lapu-Lapu City  at around 3:05 am yesterday dawn .

While they were traveling downhill, Delila’s car suddenly bumped the vehicle in front of them causing Delila’s car to hit the bridge railing at the right side and damaged it while his vehicle then turned turtle.

Delila hit an Isuzu Passenger van with plate no. XRA 821 which was driven by Bryan Andrino, 27, single of barangay Opao, Mandaue city.

The Isuzu passenger van was pushed forward due to the strong impact and also turned turtle before it got thrown towards the opposite lane and over the bridge’s center island.

Those injured were Andrino and his three passengers who were identified as Reynaldo Abrea and Benjie Carreon, both of legal age and residents of Mandaue City.

All passengers of the Isuzu van were injured in the different parts of their body and were brought to the Chong Hua Hospital in Cebu City while Delila and Lobeti were brought to a hospital in Lapu-Lapu City Hospital.

According to PO3 Johny Hernandez, traffic investigator, it was Delila who was at fault for bumping Andrino’s vehicle .

During the investigation, Delila denied that he fell asleep while driving. His liquor test also yielded negative results.

Delila is currently detained at the Lapu-Lapu City holding cell pending the filing of appropriate charges against him.

Meanwhile, seven people, including two girls, were injured after a passenger bus hit a ten-wheeler truck parked along the national highway of Barangay Inuboran, Naga City early yesterday morning.

Antonino Endino, a resident of Mandaue City, accidentally hit the Ceres Bus Liner bearing plate numbers RHR 457 to the truck, whose driver, Gary Panilagao, was sleeping inside.

PO1 Jason Panilag of Naga City Police, revealed that based on their investigation, the bus which bore plate numbers RHR 457, was traveling from Bato, Oslob bound for Cebu City at past 4 am yesterday ferrying a total of 21 passengers.

The truck was parked on the left side of the road towards Cebu City.

Panilag said the bus reached the national highway of Barangay Tinaan, Naga City, when it hit the truck.

Endino reportedly managed to maneuver to the right upon seeing that he was about to hit the truck, but the left side of the bus still hit the truck and dragged it a bit.

Police said a portion of the left side of the Ceres bus was ripped apart, injuring the passengers who sat on the left side.

Those who were injured were Rita Remonida, 34, a resident of Argao town, and her two daughters Charice, 13, and Rysa, 11.

The rest of the passengers who were injured were Derilos Javier, 23, of Argao town; Lindon Magno, 30, of Dalaguete town; Cristina Owakan, 35, of Tuburan town; and Oscar Ong, 60, of Sibonga town.

All victims were taken to the South General Hospital.

Police said there were no casualties but the victims sustained minor fractures and bruises in different parts of the body. Two of them were badly bruised. The girls, luckily, were not seriously injured, police said.

Endino was arrested and temporarily detained at the detention cell of Naga Police Station pending the victims’ decision to file charges against him.

The driver, in an interrogation with the police, said he did not notice the truck as the place was dark and there were no warning signs in the area. — (FREEMAN)