Six persons have now lost their lives in a spate of vehicular accidents since May 12, 2022, with an 18-year-old student from Baras the latest fatality following a head-on collision of two motorcycles last Saturday.
A report from the Baras police station stated that the mishap occurred at about 12:30 AM of June 11, while Reynante Tebelin, a resident of San Miguel, Baras, was driving a violet Mio Sporty (583NYZ) with Benjamin Calumpad, 17, also of the same barangay, as his backrider, on their way to the town from Virac.
Upon reaching barangay Osmeña, particularly at the curved portion of the national road near the boundary with barangay Quezon, the Mio collided with a Suzuki Smash 125 driven by Jeffrey Sumulat, 28, of San Lorenzo, Baras, with one John Jay Trasmanio, 23, of Bagong Sirang, as backrider.
The police said the Suzuki was travelling in the opposite direction and suddenly encroached on the lane of the Mio, causing the crash.
Responding personnel of the Baras MPS rushed the four victims to the Eastern Bicol Medical Center in Virac for immediate medical attention but Tebelin was pronounced dead on arrival by the attending physician.
The driver of the Suzuki as well as the passengers of both motorcycles are still confined at the provincial hospital for treatment of the injuries they sustained.
The horrific Baras accident comes just six days after a pickup truck of the Provincial Tourism Office left its lane and struck down two kids on the sidewalk at the other side.
The white Toyota Hi-Lux (A7 B765) was traveling from Pandan to Virac on June 5, 2022 when the accident occurred at about 12:30 PM in front of the Bislig Elementary School.
Reliable sources said that Marlon Zafe, 32, a resident of Gogon Centro, Virac, and a casual employee of the provincial government, reportedly fell asleep at the wheel and lost control of the truck, which swerved to the left and mowed down a nine-year-old boy on his bicycle and a 16-year-old girl walking ahead of him.
The two victims, who were cousins, were declared dead on arrival at the Juan M. Alberto Memorial District Hospital.
Zafe, who was not the designated driver of the tourism office, was allegedly asked to drive the vehicle by provincial tourism officer Carmel Bonifacio-Garcia for several engagements in Pandan on Saturday.
Garcia was one of the three passengers of the vehicle, with a businesswoman from Tabugoc, Pandan and her US balikbayan sister occupying the back seats.
The spate of accidents began on May 12, when the driver of a van returning from a wake and funeral in Gigmoto fell asleep at the wheel and rammed into five pedestrians in front of the Bato Central Elementary School, killing a 10-year-old pupil,
The driver’s sister, who was in the front passenger seat, was also killed when the vehicle hit a waiting shed and a concrete fence before rolling over.
Two days later, on May 14, three residents of Solong, San Miguel were on their way home when the motorcycle they were riding failed to make a turn on the national highway and slammed into an electric post in Cabugao, Bato.
The driver, who was not wearing a safety helmet, succumbed to serious injuries and died while being treated at EBMC.
That same weekend, two more accidents occurred in the capital town.
That same weekend, two more accidents occurred in the capital town, including a Mitsubishi Montero whose driver was under the influence of liquor.
The car left its lane and crashed into the waiting shed on the other side of the road