Man dead, 11 hurt in accident

CEBU, Philippines - A 58-year-old man was killed while 11 others were injured after the multicab they were riding turned turtle while maneuvering a downhill curve in Barangay Agsungot, Cebu City, last Sunday.

Hernando Castro, a resident of Lapu-lapu City, died on the spot due to severe head injuries. The driver of the Suzuki multicab bearing license plate numbers YUB-801, Elvie Abellare, 34, survived unscathed and is now detained.

Traffic investigation showed that Abellare was driving the vehicle from Barangay Guba after attending a fiesta celebration heading for Lapu-Lapu City when the accident happened around 7 p.m.   Abellare said that she was maneuvering a downhill curve when she lost brakes.

She said she tried not to panic and maneuvered the vehicle to the left side to prevent from falling off a cliff on the right side.

Then the vehicle turned turtle. She and her cousin who was sitting at the front seat carrying her six-month-old child were not injured because they were wearing seatbelts.

Those injured were identified as Jenny Bentulan, 32; her husband Nonie, 34; and children Benjie, 15; Novie, 13; Agaton, 9; and Mark, 6. The others were Analyn Borres and her husband Roger, 33; Randy Torremocha, 21; Genaro Torremocha, 10; and Marlon Balar, 33.

The victims, who were thrown off from the vehicle, sustained bruises and wounds to their bodies and were taken to the hospital. One of them is reportedly in critical condition.

Abellare said that most of the passengers just hitched on her multicab as she only brought a few relatives with her.

“Wa ko kahibaw nga mingsakay diay sila sa multicab, wa gani ko kaila sa uban. Ang ako ra man lima ka-paryente akong kuyog namista,” she said.

Abellare was detained at the Cebu City Police Office stockade while waiting for the decision of the family of the fatality whether or not they will file criminal charges against her.

Abellare, who earns a living by selling dried fish in Lapu-Lapu City, said she knew the fatality because the latter also sells dried fish at the same place she does. —/BRP