Ambulance driver in flyover crash a ‘longtime responder’
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Kevin Ryan Gesta, the ambulance driver involved in the fatal April 14 flyover crash along Archbishop Reyes Avenue, was “a longtime responder,” according to his father, Arlie Gesta, who had just recently broken his silence in an interview.
The father’s response came after scrutiny surrounding his son’s qualifications as an ambulance driver started mounting on social media.
He said that even though his son is only 23 years old, he has had years of training and experience under his belt.
READ: ‘My son is trained’ — Dad of Apas ambulance driver in flyover crash
In line with that, the older Gesta asked the public to withhold judgment and wait for the investigation to shed light on the tragic accident, which claimed the life of an 18-year-old college student and critically injured another.
From Boy Scout to Emergency Responder
In grade school, the young Gesta was a Boy Scout. His path as a responder appeared more apparent when, in junior high school, he also became a Rover Scout and part of the Emergency Service Corps.
READ: Fatal flyover crash triggers responder training review
Continuing this path in senior high school, he volunteered as a responder in Barangay Apas.
Then, when he turned 18, he formally joined the barangay’s response team, balancing studies and duties day and night until he graduated.
READ: Driver injured in ambulance-bus Edsa busway collision
“Pag 18 niya, gi-employ siya sa barangay. Eskwela siya og adlaw, duty siya gabii. Hangtod naka-graduate siya sa college, responder gihapon,” said his father.
(When he was 18, he was employed by the barangay. He would study at daytime and work at night. Until he graduated college, he was still a responder.)
Apart from that, the younger Gesta served as a member of the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary, where he gained experience driving various emergency vehicles.
According to his father, younger Gesta can drive not only an ambulance but also a firetruck, tanker, and four-wheel drive.
“Sa mga nag-ingon nga practicing driver pa siya, dili gyud na tinuod,” he added, rejecting all claims that his son was an “inexperienced driver.”
(To all those who said that he was a practicing driver, that is not true.)
Driver faces charges for flyover crash
Despite the defense of his experience, the younger Gesta remains in the custody of the Traffic Enforcement Unit (TEU), facing multiple charges.
On April 16, authorities filed charges of reckless imprudence resulting in serious physical injury and damage to property.
A complaint of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide was also filed against on April 18 for the death of Braille Nichole Kwek.
While the victim’s father expressed a capacity for forgiveness, he remained firm on legal accountability: “What [the driver] did must be paid for.”
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