Road accidents in CV up in 2022; several motorcycle crashes noted in Cebu

A total of four vehicles were involved in a vehicular accident in Barangay Liki in Sogod town on Wednesday, Nov. 30. | Monyeen Durano-Streegan FB post [File photo]

CEBU CITY, Philippines — With the easing of restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic starting in March 2022, more businesses opened, more tourists started to arrive, and face-to-face classes were implemented.

Amid all these as the economy of Central Visayas including Cebu starts to open up, more and more vehicles are also seen on the streets.

And with this development, it was expected that road accidents would also happen.

READ: Alert Level 1: Cebu City establishments to return to 100% capacity

So the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) recorded an increase of road accidents this year with 41,400 cases as compared  to 39,959 cases in 2021.

According to the PRO-7, that this was a 3.33 percent increase in road accidents or 560 more cases than 2021 in the region.

In Cebu, several accidents involved motorcycles, which often resulted to serious injuries to the riders or even deaths.

According to the PRO-7, the number of road accidents increased as face-to-face classes were implemented in August.

READ: DepEd-7 official says wearing of face mask in schools still mandatory

With this, Police Brigadier General Jerry Bearis, PRO-7 director, said that he already directed all commanders under his leadership to take appropriate action on this concern. 

On the other hand, Bearis said that police visibility would also be assured to help improve the safety of both the public and private transport in the region as they would travel on the roads with their vehicles.

“I will disperse more men in all cities and provinces to secure and mobilize the traffic and help other agencies to enhance public and private transport…We will ensure that our men will stay alert 24 hours to stabilize the traffic-related incidents and suppress the presence of criminals during the celebration,” Bearis said.

READ: Road accidents: An endless phenomena in Cebu City

Here are some road accidents in Cebu in 2022.

Freak accident 

• A freak accident in Naga City in southern Cebu involving two motorcycles and a truck on January 14 ended in the death of a female backrider riding in one of the motorcycles. The backrider was thrown from the first motorcycle after the other motorcycle clipped the second motorcycle’s side mirror when it tried to overtake it. The victim landed in front of a truck and got run over by it.

READ: 22-year-old woman dies in freak vehicular accident in Naga City

Cebu Coastal Road collision

Traffic and rescue personnel examine the accident scene where a three-year-old child died along the Cebu South Coastal Road in Barangay Cansojong, Talisay City on Wednesday afternoon, March 2, 2022. | via Paul Lauro [File Photo]

•   On March 2, a three-year-old boy died after the motorcycle he was riding bumped the side of a trailer truck at noon that day at the Cebu South Coastal Road. The boy’s mother was driving the motorcycle when the accident happened. The boy, who was riding in front of his mother, got thrown off the motorcycle and landed in front of the tires of the trailer truck. He died after he was ran over by the truck.

READ: Vehicle collision in Talisay claims life of 3-year-old boy 

• Two days later, on March 4, a pedestrian died after he was sideswiped by a van along the national highway in Barangay Pakigne, Minglanilla town in southern Cebu.

Avoiding a manhole 

• On May 14, a motorcycle rider, who was avoiding a manhole along Natalio Bacalso Ave. in Barangay Bulacao in Cebu City, died after he was rammed from behind by an SUV.

READ: Motorcycle rider avoids manhole, dies after SUV slams into him from behind

Crash at Marcelo Fernan bridge

•  On May 29, two men, whom police believed to have been drinking liquor, died after the motorcycle they were riding on slammed into a curved portion at the foot of the Marcelo Fernan bridge throwing them off the motorcycle and over concrete barriers of the bridge. The victims landed at the ML Quezon Highway, which is the road beneath the curved area of the bridge. The accident happened on the late evening of that day.

READ: Two die in Lapu motorcycle accident

Paramedics attend to one of the injured in the collision of two motorcycles in Bogo City in the afternoon of May 30, 2022. | Contributed photo [File Photo]

Pa falls asleep while driving

• Earlier on the same day, May 29, in the late afternoon, in Bogo town, a family of five from San Remigio town  were hurt when the father fell asleep at past 3 p.m. as he was driving his family to Bogo church to light candles there. The motorcycle with the five family members swerved and hit another motorcycle on the opposite lane. Among those injured was the 10-month old baby of the couple.

Motorcycle collision in Barili

• On May 30, in Barangay Tubod, Barili town, two men and  a 17-year-old boy died after the motorcycles they were riding collided head on. Another backrider, a 17-year-old girl was seriously injured, but she survived the crash. The boy and the girl together with their adult friend came from a benefit dance in another barangay and were on their way home when the accident happened.

READ: Two motorcycle collisions in Barili, Bogo leave 3 dead, seven injured

Carcar, Naga, Tinaan road accidents

• A cyclist died in Carcar City on June 16, after he was sideswiped a hit-and-run motorcycle rider and died. On July 12, a motorcycle rider died after his motorcycle got clipped by a truck in Minglanilla town. On July 16, a rider died in a three-vehicle collision — two motorcycles and a car — in Naga City. One of the motorcycle riders tried to overtake the car and crashed instead into another oncoming motorcycle on the opposite lane of the road.

READ: Motorcycle rider dies in Naga accident

 Teacher dies in motorcycle crash

• On Oct. 4, a teacher died after the motorcycle she and her husband were riding on collided with another motorcycle in Barangay Tunghaan, Minglanilla town. The accident was a hit-and-run as the other driver fled and left the couple on the street. However, the driver was arrested by police a day later.

READ: Minglanilla police arrest driver involved in motorcycle collision that killed teacher

5-vehicle crash in Sogod

• Aside from the motorcycle accidents, a five-vehicle smashup along national road in Barangay Liki in Sogod town on Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2022 resulted to the death of an elderly man after one of the vehicles — a bus — involved in the collision crashed into his house. The vehicles in the crash were two buses, a boom truck, a pickup truck and an SUV. The accident started with a bus rearending the bus ahead of him, causing the latter to lose control of his vehicle, resulting to the multiple crashes.

READ: Lolo killed, 11 others injured in Sogod, Cebu accident

This is one of the buses that figured in a 5-vehicle pileup in Barangay Liki, Sogod town in northern Cebu on Nov. 30. | Contributed photo [file photo]

Drive carefully

For his part, Victor Caindec, regional director of the Land Transportation Office in Central Visayas (LTO-7), reminded the public to be cautious and carefully in driving at all time, especially when in public areas.

“Karong tuiga, this has been a challenging year… Among gihangyo tungod sa pipila na ka mga adlaw nga ubay-ubay na ang disgrasya, og mahimo, kadtong mga nag-agi sa kadalanan nga maghinay hinay lang palihug,” Caindec said.

(This year, this has been a challenging year…we appeal to everyone because of the many accidents that happened, that if you can do it, those using the roads should please drive carefully.)

ALSO READ: Metro Manila vehicle crashes averaging 156 daily

/dbs

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