By Jennifer P. Rendon
A head-on collision between a truck and a passenger bus in Barotac Nuevo, Iloilo claimed the life of a village councilman.
Police identified the fatality as Johnny Delariarte, 47, of Barangay Padios, Sara, Iloilo.
Delariarte was a businessman who traded meat and vegetable products.
According to his brother, Barangay Captain Woody Delariarte of Kauswagan, City Proper district, Iloilo City, he last saw Johnny when the latter brought goods to the Iloilo Terminal Market in Iloilo City around 6AM Thursday.
Johnny was driving his drop-side Isuzu Canter when he collided with a Ceres bus at Barangay Cabilauan, Barotac Nuevo around 8AM.
Ruel Caguindangan, 44, of Poblacion, Concepcion, Iloilo, was behind the Ceres bus wheel when the collision happened.
Caguindangan ferried 13 passenger and bus conductor Jonel Alvaros, 39, of Pototan, Iloilo.
He said they came from Concepcion town going to Iloilo City when the mishap happened.
Caguindangan said that he saw the truck from a distance, but it suddenly swerved to his lane.
The bus driver said the truck suddenly changed its course that he failed to avoid it.
Both vehicles were heavily damaged because of the impact.
Delariarte’s body was hanged from his truck’s front portion while Caguindangan’s legs were pinned between his seat and the bus wheel.
Delariarte was declared dead at Don Jose S. Monfort Medical Center Extension Hospital.
Caguindangan, on the other hand, only suffered abrasions and pain on different parts of his body.
His conductor and 13 passengers also suffered minor injuries and were already discharged from the hospital.
