6 hurt in four-vehicle smashup

Six people were hurt after four vehicles figured in an accident near the PC Hills Compound in barangay Apas yesterday, blocking the road and holding up traffic for two hours.

The accident ensued after an M35 military truck lost its brakes and rammed a delivery van before hitting a passenger jeepney loaded with 16 passengers on the opposite lane of the road.

The force of the collision pushed the delivery van to the center of the road where it hit a multicab that skidded off the road.

The M35 truck, commonly referred to as a six-by-six, with plate number SEY-899 was driven by TSgt. Anastacio Ferraren on his way back to Central Command after dumping tree branches in Busay when it lost its brakes upon reaching the vicinity of Marco Polo Hotel.

Ferraren told The Freeman that he slammed the van in front of him.  The van went on to hit the multicab coming from the opposite lane.

The delivery van was owned by the Philippine Duplicators Inc. driven by Edzel Dimas, 32, who was with his wife Jocelyn, 32, and their children Christian, 5, and one-year-old Jasmin.

Edzel was pinned to his seat by the steering wheel but suffered no serious injury neither did the rest of his family who were brought to Perpetual Succour Hospital.

Emergency medical service personnel from the Emergency Rescue Unit Foundation had to use a hydraulic cutter to free Edzel before he was brought to the same hospital.

The driver of the multicab, Tirso Lozano, 32, of Nivel Hills, a driver of Pharmaphil and company security guard Rizaldy Aniñon, suffered serious injuries to their heads and bodies and were carried out on stretchers after being freed from their smashed vehicle.

The two were brought to Cebu City Medical Center and are still under close watch by their physicians.

The driver of the jeepney, Chito Nibria, 27, told The Freeman that he was idling at the side of the road because one of his passengers disembarked when he noticed the truck behind it going downhill.

To his surprised he saw the truck rammed the rear of the van and continued toward his jeepney, he decided not to sped away for fear of getting rammed in a more vulnerable side.

“Nakit-an nako ng six-by-six gikan sa babaw unya naigo niya nang van (delivery van), nibabag tong van sa tunga unya ang six-by-six nilahos gihapon anhi padulong namo, nahadlok sad ko molihay patunga kay basin masentro palang ko matuwad gyud mi kay dako gud na,” Nibria said.

His decision appears to have saved all his passengers.  No injuries were reported.

The truck hit the front of the jeepney but swerved and came to rest facing the direction it had come from.

Traffic investigator SPO1 Nelson Jayme has yet to determine the claims of the soldier that he lost the brakes.

Soldiers from the Central Command, members of the Special Action Force detailed in the PC Hills Compound and civilians later pushed the damaged vehicles to the side of the road to allow stranded motorists to pass. — Edwin Ian Melecio/BRP