TABOGON ACCIDENT. This truck fell 15 meters from the national highway in barangay Ilihan, Tabogon, killing three of 41 people onboard and sending all the rest to the hospitals.
A13-year-old boy and two others were killed when a truck carrying sugarcane workers collided with another cargo truck and fell into a ravine in Tabogon town, northeastern Cebu yesterday morning.
Among the 38 injured were children, aged one to two years old, who went with their parents to harvest sugarcane in a hacienda in Bogo City.
Both trucks were speeding, police said. The drivers were detained pending charges.
Truck driver Juvy Pedrano, 27, who earlier fetched the sugarcane workers from their homes, had only minor injuries.
He said the accident took place when another cargo truck overtook his truck along a curve at the national highway in barangay Ilihan.
The rear tire of the second truck hit the bumper of Pedrano’s ten-wheeler truck, which slammed the railing and fell off the cliff on the right side with all 41 passengers on board.
At the police station, the second cargo truck driver, 25-year-old Norman Monteron, asked for pardon.
“Mangayo lang kog pasaylo nila sir, nag-mahay gyud ko. Unsaun wa man to nako tuyoa,” he added. (I’m sorry, I didn’t intend for this to happen.)
He confirmed overtaking the truck of sugarcane workers but said the other driver refused to give way. He said he tried to avoid an oncoming motorbike.
He was speeding to fetch a cable to be used in transporting sugarcane trunks: “Nagdali ko sir kay aron daghan kog mahakot nga tubo kay ang akong bayad depende man kapila ko mohakot.” (I was in a hurry, sir, because my income depends on the number of trunks I can haul.)
Killed on impact were 13-year-old Warren Cañas and 20-year-old Juvelyn Puebla of Tabogon, who were pinned under the truck. A third victim, Romeo Ybañez, died of severe injuries at the Severo Verallo Hospital in Bogo City, where most victims were taken.
The injured children were Ailesh Monisit, 3; Ralph Niño Monisit, 11; James Tuling, 10; Purie Abayon, 16; Ella Eturma, 2 and Rena Eturma, 1.
Those riding at the back of the truck suffered the most injuries.
Senior Inspector Welter Grapa, Tabogon police chief, said both drivers were speeding but were not under the influence of liquor.
The passengers were heading for work at the hacienda of Manuel Dy in Bogo City. They were fetched from their houses in different barangays of Tabogon.