By Jennifer P. Rendon
A 67-year-old rider was killed when his motorcycle collided with a passenger bus evening of August 7, 2021 in Barotac Nuevo, Iloilo.
Police identified the victim as Norberto Sazon, a resident of Barangay Lico-an, Barotac Nuevo.
Lieutenant Danny Oro, Barotac Nuevo deputy police chief, said the incident happened at the national highway along Barangay Bungca around 7:00 p.m. Saturday, while Sazon was on his way home from the town proper.
According to witnesses’ accounts, the Ceres Bus and Sazon’s motorcycle were traversing on opposite lanes.
But bus driver Vicente Rodriguez Jr., 30, of Barangay Camalig, Jaro, Iloilo City, claimed that Sazon suddenly shifted towards his lane.
Rodriguez told investigators that he navigated to his left and encroached the other lane to avoid colliding with the victim.
But Sazon suddenly went back to his lane but it was too late for the bus to return to his lane, thus the collision.
The victim, who was not wearing a crash helmet, suffered multiple body fractures and head injury after hitting the right windshield of the Ceres bus.
Sazon was rushed to Don Jose Sustiguer Monfort Extension Hospital in Barotac Nuevo but he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Rodriguez was taken into police custody after the incident.
