By Jennifer P. Rendon and Glazyl Y. Masculino
It was a deadly weekend for Iloilo and Negros Occidental as multiple persons were killed and hurt in separate road mishaps
Iloilo province recorded four incidents on Saturday involving motorcycles in a span of two hours.
The string of road mishaps claimed the lives of four persons and injured two others.
It started with the incident in Passi City where a rider crashed into road signages while navigating a dimly lit portion along Barangay Man-it around 6:20 p.m.
Eduardo Rodriguez, a native of Abucay, Bataan but temporary resided in Man-it village, slid into a portion of the highway.
A protruding steel bar eventually pierced his head.
He was rushed to Don Valerio Palmares Sr. Memorial District Hospital but he did not pull through.
There were reports that the road being constructed had no proper early warning devices.
Ten minutes after the Passi City incident, another motorcycle rider figured in a mishap at Barangay Camambugan, Dingle town.
John Loyd Ramos, 15, of Barangay Tanghawan, Dingle, succumbed to head injuries.
Ramos, who was not wearing a helmet, was driving a Yamaha motorcycle from Camambugan village to Dingle town proper when he rammed into an Isuzu truck (license plate NBU-681) loaded with sugarcane.
The truck was parked at the San Matias Bridge after it had a flat tire. He was rushed to Iloilo Provincial Hospital in Pototan but was declared dead on arrival.
At 8:40 p.m., two motorcycle-riding men were killed while another one was injured in Barangay Jolason, Tubungan.
The fatalities were identified as Emmanuel Doquito, 26, of Barangay Bagumbayan, Alimodian and John Loyd Villanueva, 15, of Barangay Jalason.
Injured was Ramil Gange, 21, also of Jalason village.
The victims were navigating a curve when Doquito lost control of the motorcycle and plowed into a jackfruit tree.
It was believed that Doquito and Villanueva died instantly.
Gange suffered a wound on his left shoulder and was given medical treatment at Tubungan rural health center.
Meanwhile, Elmo Provido, 69, Barangay Mina West, Mina; and 17-year-old Janjan and John Rey Labor, 18, of Sitio Bingkahan, Barangay Guadalupe, Janiuay were lucky enough to survive another road mishap in Mina West village.
Police reports said that Provido was crossing the road around 6:20 p.m. when he signaled Janjan to stop, as he picked up a dried bamboo.
But it was too late for Janjan to stop his Rusi motorcycle.
Provido suffered injuries on his head and fracture on his right foot. He was taken to Iloilo Provincial Hospital brought to the Iloilo Provincial Hospital.
Janjan suffered injuries on both knees while his back rider suffered wounds on his right knee.
They were taken to Federico Roman Tirador Sr. Memorial District Hospital in Janiuay.
Two weeks ago, the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) has recorded a decline in the number of public safety index crimes, or vehicular incidents, in January 2021, compared to the same period last year.
Colonel Gilbert Gorero, Iloilo police chief, said that IPPO recorded 185 vehicular incidents, or 98 cases from last year’s 283.
Of the 185 vehicular incidents, thirteen resulted to homicide, 95 to damage to property, and 77 to physical injuries.
Gorero said this is good progress on the efforts of the Ilonggo cops to keep the highways and other roads in the province safe for motorists and pedestrians alike.
The IPPO has been implementing Oplan Hilway Dalan, which puts a premium on enforcement of traffic laws, like the wearing of helmet, driving with license; and the establishment of road signs in coordination with the local government units (LGUs) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
Meanwhile, three persons, including a minor, were killed while four others were injured in separate road accidents here and in two southern cities in Negros Occidental last Friday and Saturday.
The first accident was reported in Barangay Orong, Kabankalan City last Friday, killing a 12-year-old boy from Barangay Carol-an.
Lieutenant Joemel Salarda, deputy police chief of Kabankalan City Police Station, said the fatality, along with his 12-year-old driver-companion were allegedly speeding on their way home, when they swerved leading to the driver losing control of the motorcycle.
Both victims were not wearing helmets when they hit the steel barrier on the roadside, Salarda said.
Salarda said the fatality suffered head injuries and was declared dead on arrival at a hospital, while the driver suffered minor injuries.
Early the following day, two friends also died in an accident at Buri road, Barangay Mandalagan here around 12:30AM.
Police identified the victims as Mark Joshua Dalumpines, 23, of the said village; and Adrian Bacan, 24, of Barangay Estefania.
Staff Sergeant Richard Demaala, traffic investigator of Police Station 3, said the victims were on their way home when they lost control of the motorcycle driven by Dalumpines.
Demaala said the victims reportedly came from a birthday party, but they could not tell if they were drunk when the accident happened.
Both victims hit a gutter and were thrown off from the motorcycle and hit their heads on a stockpile of concrete pipes by the roadside.
Demaala said the two victims, who had no helmets, died on the spot.
In Bago City, four persons on board an ambulance were injured after their vehicle hit a dump truck at Barangay Calumangan on Saturday night.
Police identified the victims as ambulance driver Mauro Ramos, 59, of Barangay Poblacion; attendant Mary Grace Gargarita, 44, of Barangay Lag-asan; eight-year-old male patient; and his father Jeffrey Cabus, 38, both residents of Barangay Mailum.
According to Staff Sergeant Ronald Javier, traffic investigator of Bago City Police Station, the ambulance of Bago City District Hospital was on its way to Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital (CLMMRH) here to bring the child patient when the accident happened around 6:20PM.
Javier said the truck driven by 44-year-old Jonathan Ocquiola of Barangay Mansilingan here was slowing down to execute a left turn when the ambulance crashed into the truck.
Javier said Ramos was brought to a private hospital here subject for leg surgery while the three other wounded victims sustained minor injuries and were brought to CLMRRH here.
Javier said Ocquiola was released from police custody yesterday after the lapse of his 12-hour reglementary detention.
