Driver dies in accident; cars figure in SRP crash

CEBU, Philippines - A driver died hours after the motorcycle he was driving hit with a taxi along M.J. Cuenco Avenue in Cebu City while a convoy of six vehicles trailing a cargo truck at the SRP subway crashed after the truck’s loads fell from its rear.

Andres Barbas, 47, who was driving the Honda XRM motorcycle, was accidentally hit by the left front side portion of a Juscar Taxi cab driven by 51-year-old Joselito Lopez 7:20 a.m. Wednesday.

Lopez was reportedly driving beyond the center of the road from the opposite direction heading towards the south area.

Barbas suffered injuries in his body and was immediately rushed to Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center. He, however, was pronounced dead about three hours later.

Lopez, on the other hand, voluntarily surrendered to the police. He will be temporarily detained pending the filing of appropriate charges against him.

SPO1 Anthony Deligero of  the Traffic Patrol Group is investigating on the accident.

In a separate incident, six vehicles were crashed during the vehicular accident along South Road Properties Subway Tunnel Friday evening.

Gilbert Obejero, driver of a private Hino dump truck, reportedly failed to secure the cargoes of wheat grains which fell down from the rear portion of the truck. The grains allegedly scattered on the street causing the road to be slippery and the drivers of some vehicles from behind to lose control.

Shanette Kim Temblor of San Isidro, Talisay City and her passenger Jane Castañeda of Poblacion Pardo, Cebu City, were injured when Temblor’s Toyota Avanza Wagon rammed into the gutter. Both, who are 20 years of age, were treated at Miller Hospital.

Maximo Sato Jr., 38, of Minglanilla town and Paul Salvador Oriel, 37,of Barangay Labangon, Cebu City reported damages on the rear portion of their Toyota Altis Sedan and Toyota Corolla Sedan, respectively.

The Honda XRM and Yamaha STX 125 motorcycles of Stephen Henry Ross Tenefrancia of Talisay City and Margarito Bustamante of Barangay Mambaling, Cebu City also crashed on the pavement.

Further, the Suzuki Bravo van-type multicab of Cipriano Mendez, 64, of San Fernando, Cebu was also allegedly damaged during the incident.

SPO1 Porferio Lim Jr. of Traffic Patrol Group had already investigated the incident. TPG is preparing for a possible filing of criminal case of reckless imprudence resulting in physical injuries and damages to property against Obejero at Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office. —/JMD (FREEMAN)