1 killed, 6 others saved after driver prevents truck’s fall
6-wheeler truck loses brakes, falls on its side during heavy downpour
A road mishap in Barangay Malubog, Cebu City yesterday left a truck helper dead and six other persons injured.
The truck (GKN 434) was heading back to the city proper, carrying livestock feeds, when the accident happened at 2 p.m.
Francisco Ouano, operations chief of the City Transportation Office, said that based on their initial report, the downpour Friday afternoon caused the 6-wheeler truck to lose its balance and fall sideways.
However, it was later found that the vehicle’s driver identified as Virgilio Tolones was trying to avoid an encounter with another delivery truck.
“They were about to have a vehicular encounter so he (Tolones) tried to swerve and prevent the collision. This, however, resulted in his truck losing balance,” Ouano said.
Marvin Caño, a truck boy of Simdic Marketing Inc., was rushed to Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC), where he was declared dead. His colleague, 20-year-old Reynaldo Caño, who was also brought to the same hospital, is in critical condition.
Meanwhile, the driver of the other delivery truck identified as Jose Libre, 42, sustained minor injuries and was rushed to CCMC.
Truck helpers Alden Inoc, 23 and Jovanie Ogang, 21, on the other hand, sustained several lacerations and fractured limbs and were taken to Velez Hospital.
Their colleagues Ginilito Hawom, 24 and Josseifer Decierdo, 33 sustained minor injuries and were rushed to the same private hospital.
City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office chief Nagiel Bañacia said his office also responded to a few patients who sustained “minor ambulatory injuries” following the incident.
“There were also some ambulatory patients who were taken by Barangays Busay and Malubog for treatment, but these are all just minor cases,” he said.
Ouano reminded motorists to be extra cautious when driving, especially during bad weather to avoid any untoward incidents.
In an interview, Tolones said that he did what he could to avoid
City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office chief Nagiel Bañacia said his office also responded to a few patients who sustained “minor ambulatory injuries” following the incident.
falling down the cliff.
“There was a cliff at our left side. As soon as I realized that the brakes were not working and we were going fast downhill when I was maneuvering into a curved portion of the road, I swerved and the truck turned on its side,” he said.
Tolones said the truck was loaded with 120 sacks of livestock feeds.
“I was really going for the safety of my passengers. When I went out, I saw the truck boys, bloodied,” he said.
Tolones said that he, Decierdo and Hawom were situated in the front while the other four were at the back.
He said he was familiar with the route since they had been delivering feeds since November.
He said they came from their factory on M.J. Cuenco Ave. and was about to deliver the sacks to a customer in Barangay Busay.
“My brakes stopped working,” he said.
He said he had been a driver for 12 years.
He was taken into custody by the Traffic Patrol Group.
The truck also damaged a van of bakeshop which was in the area.