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Saturday, January 24, 2004
Baby, ma die in road mishap
By Mia E. Abellana Sun.Star Staff Reporter
With Elias O. Baquero
A SEVEN-MONTH-OLD boy and his mother were killed, while 42 others were injured after two buses collided in Barangay Guinsay, Danao City yesterday dawn.
Earl Joseph Monterde was declared dead on arrival at the Danao City General Hospital, while his mother Marilou died at 11:15 a.m. in the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) in Cebu City.
According to traffic investigator SPO1 Priscilo Roble, a southbound D’ Rough Riders bus tried to avoid a crossing pedestrian and encroached on the opposite lane at 4:45 a.m.
Driver Henry Jocdong, 34, failed to stop his bus from colliding with the northbound Cebu Autobus driven by Samuel Mangubat, 53.
Jocdong claimed that the man crossing was deranged.
However, Autobus caretakers claimed that they saw the Rough Riders bus trying to overtake a passing motorcycle.
Seeing the bus running at full speed, they tried to stay at the edge of the road to avoid hitting it.
But witnesses in Danao City echoed Jocdong’s claims about trying to avoid a man crossing the street.
Investigator Roble said he has yet to identify which bus the injured passengers rode. But he noted that most of the seriously injured ones were aboard the Rough Riders bus.
Accidents
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) revoked last May 24, 2001 the certificate of public convenience (CPC) of 13 D’ Rough Riders buses.
These buses had figured in at least 211 road accidents, nine of which resulted in 18 deaths, from 1993 to 1999.
LTFRB 7 Director Benito Dy-Cesar said Rough Riders owners will be held liable if the bus in yesterday’s accident was among the 13 buses.
Dy-Cesar said that while the Land Transportation Office (LTO) is the agency tasked to implement LTFRB decisions, the LTFRB can begin an investigation, especially when public safety is at stake.
“We will wait for the police investigation report that will indicate the description of the bus, including the plate number and LTFRB case number, and compare that with our records,” Dy-Cesar said.
Both buses in yesterday’s accident were damaged in front.
Jocdong broke one of his legs and suffered bruises all over his body, while Mangubat had injuries in his head and legs.
Victims asleep
The Monterdes came from Barangay Maya, Daanbantayan and were seated behind the driver’s seat of the Rough Riders bus.
Marilou’s husband reportedly went to the VSMMC to identify the bodies, but immediately left in grief.
The road where the collision occurred was not an accident-prone area, being straight and paved. Barangay Guinsay is about four kilometers away from the city proper.
All 44 injured passengers were first rushed to the Danao City General Hospital, but they could not be accommodated.
The more seriously injured passengers were moved to the VSMMC in Cebu City, more than 33 kilometers from Danao.
Ambulances from neighboring towns were also asked to help bring the victims to the VSMMC.
The Rough Riders bus (GVH 156) was heading from Bogo to Cebu City, while the Cebu Autobus vehicle was heading for Daanbantayan.
Most of the passengers were asleep, unaware of the oncoming collision.
The last reported accident involving a Rough Riders bus was in May last year, wherein a 70-year-old woman was hit while standing along the highway in Medellin.
(January 24, 2004 issue)
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