The officer-in-charge of the San Miguel Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office rescued when his tricycle fell into a rice field in the town last week reportedly left the scene of a previous accident in Bato town earlier.
Last March 23, 2024 at around 3 PM, MDRRMO OIC Juan Tindugan Bernal Jr., 47, a resident of Obo, was driving his Honda TMX 155 tricycle along the national highway at Boton when he fell asleep, causing him to lose control of his vehicle which went off the road and into the rice field.
Police personnel responded to the incident and extracted the victim from his vehicle, bringing him to the Bato Maternity and Children’s Hospital for treatment of head injuries.
Investigation showed Bernal was on his way home after attending the 20th Annual General Assembly of San Miguel Municipal Employees Credit Cooperative (SAMMEMCO) held at Rakdel Inn in Virac.
A separate report from the Bato police station showed that he was involved in an earlier vehicular accident in barangay Binanuahan where his vehicle allegedly sideswiped a pedestrian, Princes Rona Mae Diong Fernandez, 14.
But the incident was reported sometime later to the Bato police, with PCpl. Neil Tesorero identifying the suspect through a CCTV footage.
In the ensuing hot pursuit operation, Bernal was arrested at 4:20 PM apparently in his home at Obo.
The Tribune learned that the family of the victim is no longer interested in filing a case against Bernak, who they said is helping with the treatment of the minor injury sustained by the teener.