ORMOC CITY-A tragic road mishap claimed the life of a widow who was a passenger on a single motorcycle when it crashed into the bridge pavement around 7:30 am on March 7, along the provincial road in Barangay Santol, San Miguel, Leyte.
Police Major Ronald Espina, town police chief, identified the victim as Susan Baldos, of legal age, a widow, and a farm laborer residing in Sitio Malaihao, Barangay Bahay, also in the said town.
The motorcycle driver was identified as Jade Espina, 25, living with his partner and also a farm laborer from the same area. It was noted that victim did not present a driver’s license at the time of the incident.
According to Major Espina, the station received a call around 10:30 am from a concerned citizen reporting a traffic accident along the provincial road in Barangay Santol. Upon arriving at the scene, they discovered that the victim had already been transported to the rural health unit by the rescue team.
Initial investigations revealed that the vehicle involved was a red Rusi single motorcycle without a license plate, traveling along the national road in Brgy. Santol, heading towards the municipality of Babatngon, also in Leyte, from San Miguel town proper.
Upon reaching Cabac-an Bridge, the motorcycle suddenly veered from the right lane to the left, surprising the driver and prompting him to brake suddenly. The wet steel deck of the bridge caused the motorcycle’s rear wheel to slide, resulting in the driver losing control of the vehicle.
As a consequence, the motorcycle crashed onto the pavement, causing fatal injuries to the passenger while the driver remained unharmed.
Personnel from the San Miguel Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) rushed both the driver and the passenger to the Schistosomiasis Hospital in Palo, Leyte for immediate medical attention. Unfortunately, the attending physician, Dr. Arrabelle Verano declared the passenger dead on arrival.
(ROBERT DEJON)
