Seven hurt after truck falls off cliff

CEBU, Philippines - Seven people, including two minors, were injured after a government-owned dump truck they hitched a ride on rolled down a cliff in sitio Agotayan, Barangay Lawaan in Danao City early afternoon the other day.

Investigation revealed that the incident happened after the truck’s driver, Felipe Pepito Jr., 37, fixed one of the tires that went flat while he was driving from Barangay Poblacion to Barangay Pili.

Pepito was turning the engine on again after fixing the tire but it reportedly did not turn on. Still, the vehicle, which was facing downhill, still reportedly moved and the breaks did not reportedly work.

Pepito reportedly tried to maneuver the truck to a pile of stones but the move did not work and the vehicle went straight off the cliff, which is approximately 45 meters deep.

All seven passengers sustained injuries but the three who were seated in front – Mary Ann Longakit Camanse, 33; Ann Malbago, 27; and Clairah Malbago Agsoy, 4 – and Luigi Tee, 8, who was seated at the back of the truck, were injured more.

The other passengers seated in the back were Feliciano Capute Tautjo, 64, Remedios Martel Tautjo, 64, and Stephen Garciano Tautjo, 2.

The four that sustained major injuries were brought to the Cebu Provincial Hospital in Danao City but were transferred later to a hospital in Cebu City for further treatment.

Traffic investigator PO1 Romel Costa said that as of yesterday, no case has been filed against Pepito.

It was unclear why Pepito was driving toward Barangay Pili. – Rhea Clarissa B. Igot, USJR Mass Comm Intern/JMO (FREEMAN)