Old man dies in vehicular accident; truck causes traffic jam

CEBU, Philippines - A 75-year-old grandfather died after he was hit by a motorcycle while crossing the road in Barangay Binabag, Bogo City at 6 pm last Friday.

Alexander Comita did not make it alive to the hospital shortly after he was hit with a blue Honda XRM motorcycle (5646 YA) driven by Jose Ronald Gomez, 31.

Investigation showed that the victim, a resident of the said place, was crossing the road near a curved portion of the national highway when the motorcycle suddenly appeared and accidentally hit the victim.

Gomez, a resident of Cambanay, Danao City, was on his way home from Bogo proper.

Upon seeing the victim, Gomez tried to maneuver the motorcycle to the right to avoid hitting Comita who also stepped back and was eventually hit by the motorcycle.

The victim was thrown off along with the motorcycle and hit his head on the pavement.

The victim, who immediately went unconscious, was rushed by his family and relatives who witnessed the incident, to the Verallo District Hospital in Bogo City.

However, the victim was pronounced dead on arrival.

The driver, who also sustained minor bruises on his body, voluntarily submitted himself to the responding policemen.

He is currently detained while the police are preparing the charges that will possibly be filed against him. The driver’s wife reportedly went to the police station and tried to settle the matter with the victim’s family.

Meanwhile, a truck whose rear tires exploded caused a 5-hour traffic jam at the South Coastal Road, Barangay San Isidro, Talisay City yesterday morning.

The 10-wheeler truck’s driver, Pedro Andolana, 36, of Consolacion town, told The FREEMAN the truck’s two rear tires reportedly exploded while he was delivering corn grits at around 9:30 am.

Andolana said he was on his way to deliver 400 sacks of corn grits to a milling company at Barangay Tungkil, Minglanilla, from their yard at the North Reclamation Area.

Despite his moderate speed, while approaching a junction a few meters from Talisay City Hall, his tires just exploded causing the truck to skid out of control.

Fortunately, he managed to stop the truck a few meters from where his tires exploded.

Andolana said that when it stopped, the truck fell on its right side due to the heavy load.  

Dozens of sacks of corn grits were strewn on the road, blocking other vehicles.

Residents and barangay tanods cleared the road for a single vehicle to pass at a time.

A few minutes later, Andolana’s trucking company sent men and another 10-wheeler truck where the sacks of corn grits were transferred.

The truck was finally removed from the road roughly five hours later.

The traffic reportedly reached until South Road Properties in Cebu City. (FREEMAN)