Couple, traffic enforcer survives six-vehicle mash-up at SRP

Cebu City Traffic Operations Management incident report. On the right side is a sketch of the accident. (CDN PHOTO/ BJORN TABANERA)

Three civilians are now confined in two private hospitals for minor injuries after sustaining injuries in a six-vehicle mash-up inside the South Road Properties (SRP) tunnel at shortly before 2 pm, Wednesday.

Personnel of the Cebu City Integrated Traffic Operations Management (Citom) who came from the south saw a delivery truck and a Hyundai Getz that figured in an accident at the Cebu South Coastal Road tunnel.

Traffic enforcers Alberto Ollaban and Isaac Dela Victoria tried to help the drivers while a motorcycle-riding couple identified as Jose and Annabelle Pimentel tried to slow down as they headed towards the accident site.

The driver of a speeding boom truck exiting the tunnel didn’t notice the motorcycle and hit it just moments before hitting the brakes.

Jose Pimental maneuvered his motorcycle to avoid the Citom vehicle but he and Annabelle crashed on a passing trailer van on the other lane.

The couple landed flat on the ground and stopped under the trailer van.The trailer van’s driver stopped just in time before the trailer van’s wheels could crush the couple.

But the boomtruck hit the rear of the Citom multi-cab pushing it towards the delivery truck.

Dela Victoria, who was in front of the Hyundai Getz, was pushed back. The Pimentel couple and dela Victoria were then rushed to the hospital by the Basak Pardo Emergency Response and Emergency Rescue Unit Foundation (ERUF). No major injuries were recorded.

Joy Tumulak, Citom head of operations, said the couple were lucky to have survived the collision. At the time of the incident, the Hyundai driver was nowhere in sight. A Citom investigation on the incident is ongoing.