Truck driver sorry for death of Linao-Lipata Barangay Captain

Bloodstains can be found on a portion of the national highway in Minglanilla town where Linao-Lipata barangay captain Wilfredo Deiparene was run over by a 10-wheeler truck, Saturday night. | Photo courtesy of the Minglanilla Police Station

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Policemen in Minglanilla town are preparing a complaint for reckless imprudence resulting in homicide which they will file against the driver of the ten-wheeler truck that run over Linao-Lipata Wilfredo Deiparene past 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 14, 2020.

Truck driver Wilfredo Stella, 55, said that it was never his intention to kill Deiparene, 72.

Stella said that the barangay captain was traveling ahead of him along the national highway in Minglanilla town.  Deiparene, who was on board a bicycle, was traveling on the right side of the highway’s northbound lane while he stayed on the left side.

However, he said that Deiparene made a sudden left turn.

Stella said that he tried to step on his breaks to avoid hitting Deiparene but it was already too late.

“Mangayo lang gyud ko og pasaylo sa pamilya kay wala man ni tuyoa,” he said.

(I wanted to seek the forgiveness of his (Deiparene’s) family because it was never my intention to kill him.)

Stella, who is from Boljoon town, is currently being detained in the Minglanilla Police Station detention facility.

Police Staff Sergeant Ernst Laspuña said they are still waiting for Deiparene’s family to visit the police station so that they could already proceed with the filing of the reckless imprudence complaint against the truck driver.

Quoting the outcome of their initial investigation, Laspuña said that Stella and Deiparene were traveling on the northbound lane of the national highway when the accident happened.

He said that Deiparene was about to make a left turn when he was side swept by the 10-wheeler truck that Stella was driving causing the barangay captain to fall on the road.

Laspuña said that Deiparene’s body was run over by the wheel on the vehicle’s right side before it got stuck on the next pair of wheels.

“Nakita man gud nako siya layo pa unya daplin raman dayun wala nako kabantay,” Stella said.

(I saw him (Deiparene) and he was on the other side of the road, a few meters away from where I was and then I suddenly lost sight of him.)

Stella said he was not also over speeding at the time of the accident.

He said that he only noticed that Deiparene’s body was already stuck on his wheels when passersby started to call his attention and run towards his vehicle.

Laspuñas said that a representative of the company that Stella serves already visited the station and offered to shoulder the cost of the damages caused by the accident. / dcb