A motorcycle driver died while six others were injured in three separate vehicular accidents involving motorcycles within a period of 12 hours in Virac and Bato towns early this week.
The spate of mishaps began at 8:10 PM of Dec. 11, 2022 in barangay San Andres in Bato when a motorcycle bound for San Miguel collided with a topdown tricycle coming from the opposite direction.
According to the report of the Bato police station headed by officer-in-charge Lt. Lorenzo Alberto, Louie Pasacay Surban, 35, a member of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) and resident of Mabato, San Miguel, was driving a red Honda XRM along the national highway when he suddenly overtook another vehicle and encroached on the left lane.
He collided with the red Rusi topdown tricycle driven by fish vendor Nilo Traballo Bernal, 48, of Batalay, Bato, with another fish vendor, Maria Rojas Manibale, 36, as passenger.
Both vehicles were damaged while the two drivers and the passenger sustained injuries and were taken by responding police personnel headed by PEMS Roque Bernal to the Bato Maternity and Children’s Hospital for immediate medical attention.
Less than an hour later at 9:00 AM, a construction worker lay dying in the middle of the provincial road in Pajo San Isidro, Virac after his motorcycle figured in a head-on collision with another motorcycle.
Construction worker Marvin Barturiano Tabilog, single and resident of F. Tacorda Village, was declared dead on arrival at the Eastern Bicol Medical Center where he was brought by MDRRMO and Philippine Red Cross rescuers.
Tabilog was driving a motorcycle from Palnab del Sur and was negotiating a curved portion of the road when he crashed into another motorcycle coming from the opposite direction that was being driven by Mark Louie Rodriguez Zuniega, a mechanic from Binanuahan, Bato.
Initial investigation by the Virac police showed that both drivers were not wearing safety helmets, which has been blamed for the drivers’ sustaining significant head injuries.
Police chief Maj. Robert Kevin Caparroso urged motorists and backriders to always wear safety helmets and avoid drinking intoxicating liquoralcohol especially now that the island is celebrating the Christmas season.
The following morning in Bato town, a housewife walking in the middle of the road in barangay Binanuahan was hit by a motorcycle.
The police said Rosalie Manibale-Tawat, 31, was injured in the Dec. 12, 2022 mishap along with motorcycle driver Juvie Tutanes Ariate, 41, a public school teacher from Cavinitan, Virac.
Ariate was driving a motorcycle from Virac towards Cabugao at about 8:30 AM of Dec. 12, 2022 when he collided with the pedestrian apparently crossing the national highway.
As a result, Tawat fell down in the pavement, together with Ariate and the motorcycle. They were rushed to the Eastern Bicol Medical Center for treatment.