TWO persons were in critical condition while 13 others, including a two-year-old girl, were injured in multiple vehicle collision along the Bacolod-Silay Airport Access Road at Barangay Matab-ang in Talisay City, Negros Occidental Tuesday afternoon.
Seriously wounded were multi-cab driver Harold Angat and his relative Mark Almansor, 32, of E.B. Magalona town.
Other injured victims were Ford Everest driver Karlo Ayalin, 19, of Barangay Mandalagan, and passengers Rolyn Dave Mahinay of Barangay Bata, Rich Piorque of Barangay Alijis, and Reban Guintos, Barangay Villamonte, all of Bacolod City;
Allain Alborante of Bago City; Neil Ynzon of Isabela town; multi-cab passengers Cianon Erica Almansor, 27, Rossini Angat, and her two-year-old daughter, whose name was withheld, all from E.B. Magalona town; Mazda CX-9 driver Joe Jay Doctora, 58, of Barangay Taculing, Bacolod City; truck driver Leonilo Milabo, 56, and his wife Elsie Milabo, 47, both residents of Barangay Dos Hermanas, Talisay City; and Toyota Innova driver Jay Lord Cordova, 23, of Barangay Mabini, Escalante City.
Police Officer 1 Aljon Bautista, traffic investigator of Talisay City Police Station, said the Ford Everest driven by Ayalin was reportedly speeding and tried to overtake a canter truck loaded with scrap materials when it collided with a multi-cab boarded by a family of five.
The multi-cab then hit a Mazda CX-9 that was on its right side, which also hit the Toyota Innova.
The Ford Everest boarded by six student-passengers was on its way to Bacolod City when the collision happened while the multi-cab was on its way home to E.B. Magalona town.
After the collision, the Ford Everest tried to return to its lane but it hit the rear portion of the truck it is tailing, causing the vehicle to fell on its side.
Bautista said all 15 victims were rushed to different hospitals in Bacolod City but it took rescuers several minutes to get the multi-cab driver as he was stuck on the driver's seat due to the impact of the collision.
The accident caused temporary road closure and traffic congestion at the area for more than two hours, Bautista said.
Of the 15 injured victims, Doctora and Piorque were already discharged from the hospital.
Ayalin, Mahinay, Ynzon, Guintos, and Rossini are confined at Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital while the remaining eight were admitted to Dr. Pablo O. Torre Memorial Hospital in Bacolod City.
Bautista said Angat and Almansor will undergo a surgical operation after sustaining serious injuries.
Other victims sustained lacerated wounds, bruises, and fractures.
Bautista said Ayalin's family signified an intention to help the victims based on their initial settlement.
Police have yet to determine if charges will be filed against Ayalin, who was reportedly at fault in the accident.
Meanwhile, Bautista said that Greg Elardo, 23, of Talisay City went to the police station to report that the side mirror of his Toyota Vios was also hit by a multi-cab during the accident. He was unharmed.
However, Bautista said he did not see Elardo's vehicle at the accident area because he parked it far from the scene.
Bautista said Elardo will now serve as a witness of the incident.