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Monday, January 08, 2007
4 killed as bus hits 10-wheeler in Catmon town
By Mia E. Abellana
CEBU CITY -- A nine-year-old girl, her mother and an elderly couple died in a crash at 5 a.m. Sunday when the bus they were on went straight for a parked 10-wheeler truck in Barangay Macaas, Catmon.
Chelsea Narciso's head was crushed while her mother Jinky, 40, suffered from two broken legs and died of blood loss.
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Her sister Janice, who is a year and five months old, is currently at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) for treatment of head injuries.
Spouses Virgilio, 60, and Maria Rosario Maloloy-on, who is in her 50s, died on the spot.
The Maloloy-on couple, who is from Barangay Maya, Daanbantayan, and the Narcisos, who are from Tindog, Medellin, were on the right side near the front of the bus.
The Rough Riders bus they were on was driven by Ranel Peñas, 28, who also suffered wounds on his forehead and knees.
The bus was on its way to Cebu City when it rammed the 10-wheeler truck that was loaded with 500 sacks of sugarcane from Bacolod.
The truck was supposed to catch a barge in Carmen town that would take it to Tacloban City.
Truck driver Larry Villanes, 52, said he parked the truck in Sitio Antabay, Barangay Macaas, a well-lit area, so he could rest.
He claimed he has always parked the truck in the area and made sure no part of the truck occupied the highway.
Police are eyeing the possibility that Pañes fell asleep, swerved off the road and hit the parked truck.
However, Pañes told Sun.Star Cebu that he would not have hit the truck if it did not occupy the whole lane of the highway.
Pañes said another 10-wheeler truck had occupied his lane and was heading his way, leaving him with no choice but to hit the truck.
"Ug wala pa tong trak didto, dili mi mabangga (If that truck hadn't been on the lane, we would not have crashed)," said Pañes, who still cringed from the pain in his knee.
The impact also caused the truck to move forward and hit the house of Cirilo Tumatob by the roadside.
Tumatob said he and his family were sleeping inside when they heard a noise. He said it was fortunate the truck was loaded with heavy sacks because the weight prevented it from further plowing into his house.
None of them were injured.
But the victims said that if the truck did not have so much cargo, the impact of the accident would not have been as catastrophic.
The Juan Dosado Memorial Hospital in Barangay Damolog, Sogod received 20 injured passengers, including bus conductor Artemio Abellana, 51, who broke his left knee.
Other passengers who reached the VSMMC were Joramie Lima, 31; Marife Co, 35; Dante Magdalaga, 38; Joy Magdalaga, 40; Mario Florida, 51; Jose Arañez, 34; and Berning Lapot, 50.
The others were reportedly released from the hospital because their injuries were not very serious.
Pañes is yet to talk to the bus management but said the company policy was for those injured to submit receipts to the bus company for reimbursement.
He said he had 30 passengers onboard.
Last Thursday, the head of an eight-year-old boy was severed when a speeding bus ran him over in Barangay Ocaña, Carcar. (Sun.Star Cebu)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Manila. (January 8, 2007 issue)
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