One dead, eight injured in separate road accidents on Nov. 1

CEBU, Philippines - A man died while eight others were injured in separate vehicular accidents in Cebu on All Saints Day.

Vicente Avedo, 34, died when his motorcycle fell to the ground after accidentally hitting two women in Barangay Takay, Sogod town last Friday night.

Based on the police investigation, Avedo was driving a motorcycle at past 7 pm while holding a flashlight to light his way when he accidentally sideswiped his neighbors, Emelyn Valero, 22, and Maria Carmel Valero, 17, who were walking along the side of the road.

The three victims were taken to the Juan Dosado Memorial Hospital for treatment but Avedo succumbed to severe head injuries.

Meanwhile, at past 11 pm, an American national was also injured after he fell asleep while driving his vehicle along Barangay Azucena, Barili town.

Kenneth Brown, 52, a resident of Maribago, Lapu-lapu City, was driving a red Suzuki pick-up utility multicab bound for Cebu City when he fell asleep upon reaching Barangay Azucena.

His vehicle crossed the opposite lane and went straight to the side of the road where he smashed into a tree stump.

Due to the impact, the multicab gyrated several times, damaging its front portion while the foreigner sustained abrasions on his chest and other parts of the body.

Brown was rushed to the Barili District Hospital for treatment.

While earlier in the day in Lapu-Lapu City, a vehicle rammed a parked Toyota Corolla car owned by Danvy Degamo, 28, of Cordova town.

Based on the investigation of the police, Degamo narrated that he was parked along S. Osmeña Street in barangay Poblacion Lapu-Lapu City around 3 to 4 in the morning when the vehicle of an unidentified driver smashed the rear portion of his car.

The police are still looking for the driver of the vehicle with plate number YJB 505, who was reportedly seen later on going inside a building, which residents in the area alleged is owned by a city official.

Police officers said they could not barge into the building since they would be trespassing.

In Badian, trisikad driver Benjie Cabag, 37, landed in the hospital after he was accidentally hit by a Metrolink Express Bus (GXV 604) in Barangay Poblacion around 5:30 am.

Jolly Jay Rossell, 30, of Mabolo, Cebu City, was driving the bus en route to the south and was tailing the trisikad Cabag was driving when he accidentally hit it.

The trisikad turned upside down, causing injuries in the different parts of Cabag’s body while the bus’ right front bumper was damaged and its windshield also aqcuired cracks.

The victim was rushed to the town hospital while Rossell was held in police custody.

Meanwhile, around 11 am, three more people were injured including a local masseuse when two motorcycles accidentally collided in Barangay Pitalo, San Fernando town.

Police identified the victims as Joselyn Carao, 35, her daughter Niña Carao, 8, and 74-year-old Basilia Intong, who was injured in the head.

As per investigation of the police, Alejandro Carao, Jr., 36, was driving a Yamaha STX motorcycle with his wife and daughter bound for Cebu City when he accidentally hit another motorcycle driven by Jason Perasta, 18, who was heading for the national highway. Intong was Perasta’s backrider.

Both vehicles fell on the road causing Intong’s head injuries and Joselyn’s minor injuries.

The victims were rushed to the Carcar City District Hospital while the motorcycles were temporarily impounded for investigation.  (FREEMAN)