Truck driven by teenager runs over, kills traffic aide

CEBU, Philippines - A traffic enforcer was killed after he was run over by a delivery truck, driven by a 19-year-old grocery mart worker, Thursday evening at City Proper in Iloilo City.

The victim, 49-year-old Miguel de Asis, Sr., of Barangay Caingin in La Paz district, this city, was rushed to the St. Paul’s Hospital but died due to head injuries.

Police accounts said de Asis was manning the flow at around 7:40 p.m. along Iznart Street in Barangay Yulo when the Elf truck (license plate PXO-898) of CPT Mart hit four spans of railings.

De Asis, who was standing near one of the railings, was dragged several meters away before the truck came to a stop.

The truck driver, Gilbert Segunla of Barangay Igkuris in San Joaquin town of Iloilo, was immediately brought to police custody .

Segunla, who worked as a bagger at CPT Mart, a grocery store, claimed it was only his second time to drive a vehicle. He said the mart manager told him to get some supplies at the truck.

Since the truck was around 50 meters from the CPT Mart entrance, he decided to drive it towards the store. In maneuvering the vehicle, he tried to steer it away from a rock but the truck veered to cross the street instead and hit the railings. Worse, he got rattled and hit the accelerator pad instead of the brakes.

As the truck hit the railings, it also dragged the traffice aide, several meters away, to cause his head to hit the gutter.

A remorseful Segunla said he did not know what came into him and why he drove the vehicle. He also asked for forgiveness from the victim’s family.

Segunla would be charged for reckless imprudence resulting to homicide and damage to property and driving without license. (FREEMAN)