5-hour rescue of fallen firm truck stalls traffic

CEBU, Philippines - A 40-foot container truck en route to delivering construction materials fell to its side in the middle of the road yesterday, stalling vehicular traffic on M. Logarta Street near the Subangdaku Flyover in Mandaue City.

It took more than five hours for crane operators and several traffic personnel to lift the truck back up and drag it to the side of the road. The truck fell at around 9 a.m., and it was successfully pulled out of the road by 2:30 p.m.

Neither traffic officials nor the police were able to identify the driver because the incident was not officially put in blotter.

But according to Glenn Antigua of the Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue, it was the truck's owners who sent crane operators to the scene.

He said the driver sustained minor injuries and was brought to a private hospital at the North Reclamation Area.

Antigua said since the truck fell towards the center of the road, traffic flow was affected. The section of M. Logarta where the truck tripped over was closed to traffic while response efforts were being done.

The situation, however, failed to cripple transportation in the area because the incident happened on a Saturday when traffic is not as heavy.

Ronulfo Sudayan of Mandaue City Command Center separately said the container truck just came from the parking grounds of Kenwood Trading Corp. It was carrying I-beams for construction and was supposedly on its way to Barangay Tingub.

As of press time, the cause of the truck's falling remained unclear.

SRP mishap

Meanwhile, a moving car turned upside down after its driver, a teacher, evaded another moving motorcycle on Cebu South Coastal Road at the South Road Properties in Barangay San Roque, Talisay City.

Sheila Franco, 37, married and a resident of Hacienda Milan, Barangay Lawaan I, Talisay City, was wounded from the incident.

Police Officer 3 Achiles Cabando of Talisay City Traffic Division told The FREEMAN that Franco was driving her vehicle (YLB 982) alone.

She was heading towards Cebu City when a motorcycle infront of her car suddenly stopped, prompting her to steer to the left side of the road to avoid impact.

However, the front wheel of her vehicle ascended into the center island which caused her car to turn turtle.

Franco was rushed to a private hospital in Cebu City.

"Wala man daw siya nakatulog. Ang iyaha  lang nilihay siya sa motor nga nag-una, pero sa tantong lihay siya naman hinuon ang nadisgrasya," said Cabando.

Franco is a teacher in a big university in Cebu City. (FREEMAN)