AT LEAST 900 of more than 4,000 chickens carried by a delivery van bound for Mandaue City were killed after the vehicle overturned at the South Road Properties (SRP) in Cebu City yesterday dawn.
Rey Elias Sistoso, the driver, was injured after he was thrown from his seat to the asphalt road when the left side of the van (GXV-782) crashed.
Sistoso’s helper Cholo Canoy was slightly hurt, said traffic enforcer John Espina, who responded to the accident.
Sistoso, in a phone interview, told Sun.Star Cebu that his boss said that the 900 chickens were worth P100,000.
As of press time, though, he has no idea who would pay for the loss.
Sistoso was supposed to deliver the chickens from San Fernando town to an abattoir in Mandaue City, so that they could be butchered and sold in the market.
“Nikalit ra og kakusog. Natuwad ra siyag kalit (The van went faster, then it overturned),” he said.
But Espina said that Sistoso was driving beyond the speed limit of the area.
Motorists have been advised to follow the 40-kilometer per hour speed limit when travelling through SRP, said Espina.
“Magpahinay gyud unta kay kurba man na dihang dapita. Kung paspas kaayo ka, inig liko matuwad gyud ka (They should slow down when they reach the place. Because if they are too fast, their vehicles would overturn),” Espina said.
Sistoso, in a phone interview, admitted he was driving the van fast, but he said he tried to apply the brake before the van turned over.
Cebu City Traffic Operations Management Operations Chief Jonathan Tumulak said Sistoso may face sanctions for driving beyond the speed limit.Manuel Taga-an of the Traffic Patrol Group (TPG) said Sistoso may also face penalized for damaging a government property during the accident.
The “No Loitering” post by the road was bent when the van hit it.
Sistoso has yet to visit the TPG office for investigation, but he said he will soon visit the office.
He was brought to Cebu City Medical Center after the accident due to the injuries on his feet, but he immediately reported back to work in Mandaue City.