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Friday, April 30, 2004
Buses collide: 20 people injured
By MIA E. ABELLANA
Sun.Star Staff Reporter
AROUND 20 passengers were injured after two mini-buses collided on the highway in Minglanilla, Cebu yesterday morning.
A purple mini-bus marked Four Aces (DHM 848) was heading for Cebu City from Carcar town while a yellow minibus marked Pioneer (GVZ 418) was heading the opposite direction.
Witnesses in the area told Sun.Star that the Four Aces mini-bus was about to overtake a multicab when the latter suddenly stopped in the middle of the road, prompting driver Romeo Escorial to swerve left.
In his attempt to avoid hitting the multicab, Escorial crashed into the incoming Pioneer mini-bus.
The two vehicles collided head-on, injuring both drivers, one of their conductors and several passengers.
Escorial, 40, was first rushed to the Minglanilla District Hospital but was later moved to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) in Cebu City.
Escorial complained that he had difficulty breathing because of severe pain in his chest.
Allan Lapis, 28, who drove the Pioneer mini-bus, suffered wounds on his knees and forehead while Alfonso Tanod-tanod, 38, Lapis’ conductor, could not move his left leg.
He was rushed to the X-ray room of the VSMMC yesterday morning.
Both vehicles were reportedly full, carrying about 50 passengers each, but the others seated at the back escaped with minor injuries and went home after their cuts were treated.
Both buses are also owned by the same person.
Passengers complained that Escorial kept on changing lanes while speeding.
Jerry Ybañez, Escorial’s conductor, denied that they were running at full speed.
Edwin, a vendor on the side of the road, confirmed this.
“His speed was moderate. He just tried to avoid the multicab,” Edwin said.
Edwin, who was first on the scene to bring some of the passengers to the Minglanilla District Hospital, added that had both mini-buses been running fast, there would have been more damage.
The front parts of both vehicles were smashed and some of the seats were detached.
Broken glass from the windshields and windows were on the ground.
Edwin said that both drivers were pinned to their seats until the paramedics arrived.
The multicab, driven by Rodulfo Bariquit of Barangay Tuyan, Naga, was also slightly damaged.
Statistics at the Cebu Provincial Police Office show that buses were involved in 10 out of 52 traffic accidents for the first quarter of this year.
(April 30, 2004 issue)
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