Cebu collision kills girl, 9, mom, elderly couple

A nine-year-old girl, her mother and an elderly couple were killed after the bus they were riding slammed into a parked 10-wheel truck in Catmon town in Cebu before dawn Sunday. Sun-Star Cebu reported Monday that the incident, where at least 20 other passengers were injured, happened at about 5 a.m. in Macaas village, Catmon. It was the second accident since Thursday last week, when an eight-year-old boy was decapitated when a speeding bus ran him over in Barangay Ocaña, Carcar town. Killed in Sunday’s accident was nine-year-old Chelsea Narciso, whose head was crushed. Her mother Jinky, 40, died due to blood loss. Both Jinky’s legs were broken. Chelsea’s sister Janice, a year and five months old, was rushed to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) for treatment of head injuries. Also killed on the spot were Virgilio Maloloy-on, 60, and his wife Maria Rosario Maloloy-on, who is in her 50s. The couple hailed from Maya village in Daanbantayan town. The Juan Dosado Memorial Hospital in Barangay Damolog, Sogod, received 20 injured passengers, including bus conductor Artemio Abellana, 51, who broke his left knee. Other passengers who reached the VSMMC were Joramie Lima, 31; Marife Co, 35; Dante Magdalaga, 38; Joy Magdalaga, 40; Mario Florida, 51; Jose Arañez, 34; and Berning Lapot, 50. The driver of the “Rough Riders" bus they were on, Ranel Pañes, 28, suffered wounds on his forehead and knees. Police suspect he fell asleep at the wheel. But Pañes claimed he would not have hit the truck if it did not occupy the whole lane of the highway. Authorities said the bus was on its way to Cebu City when it rammed the 10-wheeler truck that was loaded with 500 sacks of sugarcane from Bacolod. The truck driven by Larry Villanes, 52, was to catch a barge in Carmen town that would take it to Tacloban City. Villanes said he parked the truck in Sitio Antabay, Barangay Macaas, a well-lit area, so he could rest. He claimed he has always parked the truck in the area and made sure no part of the truck occupied the highway. Investigation showed that the impact also caused the truck to move forward and hit the house of Cirilo Tumatob by the roadside. Tumatob said he and his family were sleeping inside when they heard a noise. He said it was fortunate the truck was loaded with heavy sacks because the weight prevented it from further plowing into his house. Pañes said the company policy was for those injured to submit receipts to the bus company for reimbursement. He said he had 30 passengers onboard. Catmon is a fifth-class town in Cebu, with a population of 25,083 people in 5,198 households. - GMANews.TV