By Ronron
January 29, 2008
Fourteen people died while 17 others were hurt in a head-on collision involving a passenger jeepney and a 10-wheeler truck Tuesday morning in North Cotabato province, police said.
The incident happened at around 8:45 am along Sayre National Highway in Barangay Gen. Luna, Carmen town while the passenger-filled jeepney (plate number DTW-743) was about to leave said town and the truck (RFM-365), loaded with cement, was going the opposite direction.
Carmen police chief Chief Insp. Renante Cabico said in a phone interview that the jeepney, driven by Allan Balunod, had just overtaken a truck when it collided with the oncoming 10-wheeler truck, driven by Jerry delos Reyes.
“The driver of the jeepney apparently lacked time and space to go back to its original lane after overtaking a truck ahead of it because the 10-wheeler truck was already approaching fast,” Cabico told Manila Shimbun in Filipino.
He said the collision was so strong it left the jeepney in total wreck.
Thirteen passengers of the jeepney, including Balunod, died on the spot, while 18 others were injured and immediately rushed to two hospitals in neighboring Kabacan town for medical treatment.
But at 10:45 am, one of the injured victims expired while being treated at the Kabacan Polymedic Hospital, Cabico said.
Cabico said aside from the Kabacan Polymedic Hospital, the Kabacan Medical Specialist Hospital is also treating injured victims from said accident.
He said delos Reyes voluntarily surrendered to the Carmen Police Station, but they are not yet certain if criminal charges will be filed against him.
“Usually here, the victims just enter into an amicable settlement with drivers so the filing of case will really depend on the victims,” Cabico said.
But he said that should the victims pursue a case, delos Reyes could be held liable for reckless imprudence resulting in multiple homicide and multiple serious physical injuries./DMS
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