Sirao accident: 7 people hurt as SUV falls off ravine

An overturned Toyota Fortuner is seen stuck in a tree in the middle of the ravine in Barangay Sirao, Cebu City. The vehicle fell off the ravine at past 1 p.m. of March 8, 2020. | Contributed photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — What was supposed to be a day to relax with family and friends, turned into a life threatening situation for a family, after their vehicle fell off a ravine in Barangay Sirao, Cebu City at past 1 p.m., Sunday March 8, 2020.

Police Senior Master Sergeant Ernesto Velvestre Jr., of the Talamban police, clarified that there were only seven and not 10 passengers as previously reported on board the Toyota Fortuner driven by Vergie Marie Tecson, 31, a resident of Poblacion Ward, Minglanilla town, Cebu.

In an earlier report, Harold Alcontin, Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office head, told CDN Digital that first reponders’ reported 10 people suffered injuries in the accident.

But this was later verified and the number of victims were just 7 including the driver.

Sirao accident’s SUV passengers

Velvestre identified the six passengers as:  Cora Marie Alidon, 34, of Poblacion Ward 4, Minglanilla; Julio Salvatera; Ellana Valdez; Julius Ceasar Salvatera, 78; Jeff Russel Alidon, 34, of Poblacion Ward 4, Minglanilla, Cebu; and a four-year-old boy.

The driver and the six passengers were confined at a private hospital in the city.

Alcontin said that three first responders were erroneously included in the list of victims and this was later rectified.

Aside from the number of victims, Velvestre also clarified that the vehicle fell at least 10 meters into the ravine.

Velvestre said that the ravine in Barangay Sirao was deeper but the vehicle got stuck in one of the trees preventing it to fall deeper into it.

Velvestre also said that the SUV fell off a ravine and not a cliff as earlier reported.

How it happened

Initial investigation based on the statements of Tecson showed that while traversing the road of Sitio Kan-irag of Barangay Sirao, Tecson tried to avoid an incoming vehicle, causing her to swerve to the right side of the road near the edge of the ravine.

Tecson told police that as she stepped on the brakes, she panicked and slowly stepped on the accelerator, which caused the vehicle to continue to move forward and over the edge of the road into the ravine.

Velvestre said that Tecson’s group were coming from Cebu City and were on their way to a popular tourist destination in the barangay.

He said the group were lucky some of the residents nearby were able to help them during the accident and got them out of the overturned SUV./dbs