Driver in fatal Bataan bus crash involving teachers released from detention –police

The driver of the bus that fell off a cliff in Bataan on Saturday which resulted in the death of a public school teacher was released from detention, the police said.

Orani, Bataan Police chief Police Major Larry Valencia said on Sunday that the family of the fatality, identified as  34-year-old Payatas B Elementary School teacher Janice Pontillas, spoke with the driver and they decided that they would discuss the matter further.

The driver was held at the Orani Police Station for questioning, according to the Department of Education (DepEd) Schools Division Office (SDO) of Quezon City on Saturday.

“Kahapon nandito ang representative ng DepEd Quezon City at ‘yung pamilya na kapatid ni ma’am Janice at nag-usap sila at in-inform ang PNP na hindi na muna sila magsasampa ng kaso at bagkus, pag-uwi sa Martes ng asawa ay pag-uusapan na lang ‘yung nangyaring aksidente,” Valencia said in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB.

(Yesterday, the representative of DepEd Quezon City and the victim’s family were here to talk and they informed the PNP that they will not file a case yet. Instead, when the victim’s husband returns home on Tuesday, they will talk about what happened in the accident.)

“Nag-decide ang asawa na i-release na lang muna ang driver. Nagusap sila through online at ipinaliwanag… regarding sa pangyayaring aksidente,” he added.

(The victim’s husband decided to have the driver released. They talked online about the accident.)

The crash took place around 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, November 4, when the DepEd Quezon City bus carrying 48 passengers, the driver and an alternate driver, traversed “a very sharp curve, lost its brakes and plunged into a 15-meter ravine.”

The passengers were Quezon City public elementary and secondary school teachers who departed from the Sinagtala Resort in Orani, Bataan to attend a Gender and Development activity.

“Nagkaroon ng mechanical failure. Nawalan ng preno ‘yung sinasakyan nilang bus kung kaya't nawalan ng kontrol ang driver at nahulog po ito sa bangin,” Valencia said.

(There was a mechanical failure. The bus they were on lost its brakes, and that was why the driver lost control and the bus fell into the ravine.)

Valencia added that the area where the bus crashed was not accident-prone and, citing the statements of the passengers, the driver was driving at a regular speed.

“Nagkataon lang siguro talaga na nawalan ng preno ‘yung bus sa area na ‘yun,” Valencia added.

(Maybe it just so happened that the bus lost its brakes in that area.)

The SDO said Pontillas was declared dead on arrival at the Orani District Hospital.

Eighteen other passengers were injured in the crash.

The Quezon City government and the SDO pledged to shoulder all medical expenses of the injured passengers, as well as the financial assistance for the deceased. — DVM, GMA Integrated News