31 hurt in field trip accident

Thirty-one people, including 21 elementary students, were hurt after three buses on an educational field trip figured in a road accident in Quezon City before noon yesterday.

The buses were bringing the pupils of Molino Elementary School in Bacoor, Cavite to Luneta Park in Manila for their lunch break at around 11:10 a.m. after taking their tour of the Quezon Memorial Circle, investigators from Quezon City police district said.  

While the buses were taking the southbound lane of Quezon Avenue near Westport Street, a taxi and a Hyundai Starex van suddenly cut in front of the bus convoy that was being escorted by personnel of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA).  

Initial investigation showed that the driver of the lead bus made a sudden stop to avoid the taxicab and the van. The driver of the third bus, however, failed to step on the breaks and crashed into the second bus, which then hit the first bus.  

The impact of the collision was strong enough to completely shatter the windshield of the third bus.

It was found that majority of the injured pupils were on the third and last bus. Most of them sustained cuts and bruises, but one was reportedly badly injured after he was thrown out of his seat during the collision.

The pupils were crying as they were taken out of the buses. Mostly in the first and third grade, the students were supposed to wrap up yesterday’s field trip with a visit to the Star City amusement park in Pasay City. 

The injured passengers – 21 pupils aged six to 12 years old and 10 parents and teachers accompanying them – were all brought to the East Avenue Medical Center for treatment.

Dr. Rogelio Varela Jr., who attended to the injured passengers, said their patients only sustained minor injuries. He said the worst injury was that of a six-year-old boy who suffered a lacerated eyelid.

An MMDA worker who was escorting school convoy told authorities he signaled to the driver of the Starex van to give way to the buses but the latter stopped too late, giving the driver of the first bus no choice but to come to an abrupt stop. This caused the bus to hit the van’s side and injure its passengers. 

This testimony was supported by the driver of the lead bus, Dennis Valino. 

But the driver of the van, Paulino Jimenez, 56, told police it was the taxicab in front of him that stopped first, prompting him to abruptly stop. The police took Jimenez under custody for questioning. 

The police said they will look for witnesses who could provide them with the license plate number of the taxicab, whose driver fled after the incident.

Probers said they would conduct further investigation to determine who should be held liable.