Injured driver in flyover mishap discharged

CEBU, Philippines – The 48-year-old motorcycle driver who got injured after being hit by a dump truck on Maguikay Flyover in Mandaue City was released from the hospital late Tuesday night.

Though Alexander Curaraton sustained a one-and-a-half inch cut in the head and some bruises in his body, medical staff at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center nonetheless decided to discharge him.

Curaraton was first rushed to the Mandaue City District Hospital after the Tuesday morning accident and was later transferred to VSMMC for further medical test. At 11 p.m. that day, VSMMC doctors cleared him.

At present, Curaraton is already recuperating at their apartment in Barangay Cansaga, Consolacion town.

Curaraton's son Rey Dhan, 27, told The FREEMAN that the dump truck's owner, John Raymond Velasquez, paid all the medical expenses at VSMMC. Velasquez, however, has promised the family he will shoulder all their expenses, including the father's medical expenses and medicines.

Rey Dhan said Velasquez will also provide a cash allowance for the family's daily consumption until Curaraton completely recovers.

Their verbal agreement provides that Velasquez will give P450 to the family, which is the average profit of the victim as a motorcycle-for-hire or "habal-habal" driver and for the family apartment's rent.

The truck owner also said he will look for another motorcycle that can be given to Curaraton in exchange for the one damaged during the accident, said Rey Dhan. Curaraton's motorcycle was "destroyed" because of the impact.

Curaraton released the motorcycle he was driving shortly before it made contact with the Isuzu dump truck driven by Renato Racaza.

Alexander was not able to stand steadily and felled. The truck then hit his head.

Racaza was heading towards Cebu City when he overtook a Toyota vehicle. The truck counter-flowed before it hit the motorcycle and rammed into the railing of the Maguikay Flyover, stalling traffic in the area for at least three hours.

According to Dino Bargamento of the Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue, the truck was left hanging on the railing causing it to block the lane from motorists.

Vehicles travelling from Hi-way Seno towards the north were directed to travel under the flyover and go  straight to the direction of  Pacific Mall. “Ang lane nga bound for Cebu kay  occupied man sa truck nga naaksidente,” Bargamento said.

Motorists had to suffer hours of traffic jam, while the truck was being pulled out of the flyover  from a three-hour heavy traffic as the dump truck was pulled out from the flyover.

The traffic management personnel borrowed heavy equipment, particularly a fork lift, from Profoods International, and used this, with a chain, U-Bolt and towing bar in taking out the truck from its precarious position on the flyover’s railings.

Bargamento said they deployed more than ten personnel of TEAM, who manned the traffic and helped in pulling out the truck, which was done at about 9 a.m.

He added that the Department of Public Works and Highways-7 was also notified about the situation of the flyover, a portion of which was damaged by the truck. A meter-long of the railings was damaged and had to be cordoned off from the public.

However, the damage does “not impose much danger” to motorists as it has a gutter preventing vehicles from getting close to the railing, said Bargamento.

Racaza immediately fled after the incident. He was said to have returned home in Barangay Jaclupan, Talisay City because of "fear."

According to the police, Velasquez will try to convince Racaza to surrender. The victim's family said they want Racaza's driver's license revoked.