Road mishap hurts four in Manipis

CEBU, Philippines - Four people were injured after a Mitsubishi Fuzo Canter truck lost its brake while negotiating downhill and rammed into a tree in sitio Camp 6, Barangay Manipis, Talisay City yesterday morning. 

The victims, whose identities were not immediately available to the police, were all residents of Barangay Sudlon, Cebu City.  SPO1 Elmer Saladas of the Talisay City Traffic Division said the victims were on their way to Barangay Tabunok when the accident happened.

Saladas said the truck driver, Jimmy Baculi, claimed that he was negotiating downhill when the vehicle lost its brakes prompting him to ram into a tree to avoid falling into a cliff.

Baculi told the police that there were nine of them on board the truck but only four were injured. The victims were rushed to Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center.

Mario Zafra, head of City of  Talisay-Traffic Operation Development Authority (CT-TODA), lauded the driver for his presence of mind.

Zafra said the incident could have been bloody had he failed to maneuver the truck away from the cliff.  (FREEMAN)