Two men died and one was injured in three separate accidents in Virac and Bato towns last week, the Catanduanes Provincial Police Office reported.
The string of mishaps began on March 4, 2024 at 10:15 PM on the deck of the LCT (Landing Craft, Transport) Concepcion Faith that was docked at the port of Virac in barangay Salvacion.
According to the official report of the Virac Municipal Police Station, Charlon Jerome Terrora Chua, 28, who was set to celebrate his 28th birthday the following day, was with his fellow crew members cleaning the deck of the ship when he accidentally touched the frayed insulation of the extension cord, delivering an electric shock to his body.
Responding personnel from the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) immediately brought him to the Eastern Bicol Medical Center but the victim was declared dead on arrival by the attending physician.
The roll-on roll-off ship’s operator, Eastern Pacific Shipping Corp., reportedly spent nearly half a million pesos for the return of Chua’s casket, accompanied by a sibling, to his native town of Jaro, Leyte, as well as financial assistance to the family.
Less than two days later, on March 6 at 9 AM, elderly housewife Dolores Salvador Surban, 77, a resident of Immaculate Concepcion St. in barangay San Isidro Village, Virac, was walking along the right shoulder of the road at the “bagsakan” area of barangay Concepcion when she was run over by a truck.
Police investigators said that the green Fuso 10-wheeler cargo truck driven by Clynton Gubot Pactol, 28, of Bascaran, Daraga, Albay, was leaving its parking spot in front of Lucky Super Mart warehouse towards Imelda boulevard when it accidentally hit the victim.
This caused Surban to fall on the paved road and sustain severe head injury.
She was transported by Virac MDRRMO personnel but was pronounced dead on arrival by Dr. Peter Angelo Villamor, with the official cause of death identified as traumatic brain injury secondary to vehicular accident.
Pactol will be charged for Reckless Imprudence Resulting to Homicide.
At 3:10 PM that same day, another truck went off its lane and collided with an oncoming motorcycle along the national highway of barangay Sipi in Bato town.
Police said the white Tipper truck driven by Romeo Legazpi Layo Jr., 41, of Roosevelt, Dinalupihan, Bataan and owned by GCI Construction and Development Corp., was on its way to San Miguel town when it suddenly swerved and encroached on the opposite lane.
The truck then collided with the black Honda Beat motorcycle driven by student Lito Idava Tapar, 20, of Wagdas, Pandan, with the motorcycle nearly going under the truck.
Tapar sustained injuries on the different parts of his body and was brought by Bato MDRRMO personnel to the provincial hospital for treatment.
A complaint for Reckless Imprudence Resulting in Serious Physical Injury and Damage to Property will be filed by the Bato police against the truck driver.