How sleeping late saved a lola, her family from a truck that fell from a ravine in Tabogon

This is the wreck of a 10-wheeler cargo truck that fell off a ravine and landed at the side of the house in Tabogon town in northern Cebu on July 30. | Paul Lauro

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Sleeping late that fateful night of July 29 saved the lives of a 78-year-old lola and her daughter’s family of five from a wayward truck that fell off a ravine on the early morning of July 30 in Barangay Libjo, Tabogon town in northern Cebu.

The truck landed on the front of their house, which was situated at the foot of a 10-meter ravine, destroying a portion of the room where some of the family members would have slept.

READ: Cebu Daily Newscast: Truck falls into ravine in Tabogon; 2 people dead

Lola, family slept late

Editha Nacor, a widow and the owner of the house, said that if they had turned in earlier that night then one of them, particularly her grandchild or members of her family could possibly have been hurt or worse lost.

She also told CDN Digital why they did not sleep early that night.

“Kini akong apo nga 16 anyos, sige pa man og cellphone unya si Nemfa (iyang anak) nagatiman pa sab sa unom ka buwan nga anak niini,” said Nacor.

(My 16-year-old granddaughter, was still using her cellphone and Nemfa (her daughter) was still taking care of her 6-month-old baby (at that time).)

She also said that at her age she usually would sleep late.

READ: Truck falls into ravine in Tabogon; 2 people dead

Editha Nacor’s house and store are damaged by a truck that fell off a ravine and landed in Nacor’s house and wrecking his store in Barangay Tabogon, Cebu on August 1. | Paul Lauro

Grateful to God for keeping them safe

She was so grateful to the Lord for her family being safe and unhurt by the accident.

“Dako gyod ang akong pasalamat (sa Ginoo) kay ang akong apo naisave ko. Kay kung wa pa nako maisave, isa sa amin ang nawawala,” said the 78-year-old lola.

(I am very grateful (to the Lord) because my grandchild was saved. Because if she was not saved by me, then one of us would have been gone.)

“Niingon ko nga mailisan pa ang usa ka bagay pero ang tawo dili,” she said.

(I say that you can replace a thing, but we can’t (replace) a person’s life.)

READ: Boy, 12, drives father’s truck, hits another vehicle in Talisay City

This is the front of the truck which fell off a ravine in Tabogon town in northern Cebu on July 30. | Paul Lauro

Loud crash

At the time of the accident, Nacor, her daughter, and her four children were in another part of the house.

She said that when they heard the loud crash, the only thing that she could think of was for her and her family to leave the house as fast as they could.

The 78-year-old lola also said that she did not hear anybody calling for help from where the loud crash came from.

“Kusog gyod ang paka. Diha man anang mansanitas ug kanang akong sambag naharos,” said Nacor.

(The sound of the crash was really loud. It (the truck) slammed into the mansanitas tree and my tamarind tree, dragging the trees along.)

The lola also pointed at her store, which was wrecked by the truck after it also went through it, and it was only stopped by a coconut tree.

The truck by then was overturned or landed on its roof, when it stopped.

READ: 6-vehicle smashup in Maguikay: 2 truck drivers injured

Second time this happened

Nacor’s sari-sari store at the side of her house was destroyed by the crash.

She also said that this was the second time that a truck fell in the ravine.

But the first one, it only destroyed their fence at the side of the road at that time.

Last Sunday, it was a worse accident than the previous one.

She said that on the first accident, she could hear the helper of the truck calling for help, but this time around, after the crash, they did not hear anybody calling for help.

She, however, could not recall the exact date when the first accident happened.

READ: Backrider dies after motorcycle-for-hire collides with dump truck in Cebu City street

This is what’s left of Editha Nacor’s store after a truck, which fell into a ravine, crashed into it. | Paul Lauro

Truck owner vows to pay

As for the owner of the truck and the cargo, a certain Jun of Bantayan town, who was at the accident site supervising the retrieval of the cargo this morning, July 31.

He promised to pay all the damage that the accident caused.

Jun said that the truck was heading to Bantayan town and it was carrying dry goods for his store there.

The truck that fell off a ravine in Tabogon town on Sunday, July 30, was carrying noodles and sacks of brown sugar. | Paul Lauro

The truck was carrying noodles and sacks of brown sugar.

The accident at past 12 a.m. on July 30, in Barangay Libjo, Tabogon town caused the death of the driver and his helper, who were pinned at the front seat of the truck.

Police earlier said that the truck fell off the 10-meter ravine with its front first and overturned as it landed on the front of the house of Editha Nacor.

The house of Nacor, the 78-year-old lola, was situated at the foot of the ravine.

RELATED STORIES

2 dead, 1 hurt in bus-SUV collision in Albay

Barangay councilor killed in Sibonga accident

/dbs