NO CHARGES were filed against the male teenager driver who allegedly caused the multiple vehicle collision at Bacolod-Silay Airport Access Road in Barangay Matab-ang, Talisay City, Negros Occidental last Tuesday.
Police Officer 1 Aljon Bautista, traffic investigator of Talisay City Police Station, said the families of the victims have yet to decide whether to pursue the filing of the criminal complaint against Ford Everest driver Karlo Ayalin, 19, of Barangay Mandalagan, Bacolod City.
Bautista said the victims' families are waiting for Ayalin's family to visit the wounded victims at the hospitals following an initial settlement.
Bautista said Ayalin might be charged with reckless imprudence resulting in multiple physical injuries and damage to property.
On July 31, Ayalin, along with his five classmates - 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; and Neil Ynzon of Isabela town – was on his way to Bacolod City when he tried to overtake a canter truck loaded with scrap metals but collided with a multi-cab traveling on its way to E.B. Magalona town.
The multi-cab then hit a Mazda CX-9 that was on its right side, which also hit the Toyota Innova.
The side mirror of a Toyota Vios driven by Greg Elardo was also hit by a multi-cab during the accident but he was unharmed.
Seriously wounded were multi-cab driver Harold Angat and his relative Mark Almansor, 32, both residents of E.B. Magalona town.
Other injured victims were the driver and five passengers of the Ford Everest; 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.
As of 3 p.m. Wednesday, only nine victims are still confined at the two hospitals.
Doctora and Piorque were discharged from the hospital on the day of the accident while Mahinay and Guintos were also discharged the following day.
Ayalin, Ynzon, and Rossini are still confined at Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital while the remaining six were admitted to Dr. Pablo O. Torre Memorial Hospital in Bacolod City.
Leonilo already underwent a surgical operation yesterday.
Meanwhile, Bautista reminded the motorists to slow down and be defensive in driving to avoid an accident.