Baby’s head cut off in freak motorcycle accident in Northern Samar

CATARMAN, Northern Samar – A scarf used to protect a 19-month-old boy from the sun’s heat instead caused his death in a freak accident in Laoang, Northern Samar, on Sunday.

Lorna Stephanie Nueva, 25, and a resident of Palapag town, was heading home on board a Honda XRM motorcycle from Catarman town.

In front of her was her 19-month-old son while her mother, Rosita, was driving the motorcycle.

They came from a clinic in Catarman because the boy was sick.

Nueva covered her son with a scarf to protect him from the scorching sun.

But upon reaching Barangay Rawis in Laoang, about 45 km from Catarman, a portion of the scarf accidentally caught the rear wheel of the motorcycle.

The scarf stifled the infant’s neck and eventually severed his head.

Witnesses said the incident happened so fast that neither the mother nor the grandmother was able to react quickly to save the boy’s life.

The infant was brought to the Rural Health Unit in Laoang town for post mortem examination.

PO2 Elizar Diu, Laoang police investigator, said the baby’s mother and grandmother were still in a state of shock and could not completely explain what happened.

He said the two might be held liable for violating Republic Act 10666, an act providing for the safety of children aboard the motorcycle.

Diu said they might also file charges against the two for reckless imprudence resulting in homicide.

This was the second tragedy to hit the family of Nueva in two years.

In 2016, her eldest daughter, who was 8 years old at that time, drowned in a river in their village in Sumoroy, Palapag town. /kga