POLICE yesterday spoke with the 19-year-old male companion who survived the Feb. 23 dawn car crash in the Banilad-Talamban flyover as investigators try to piece together how it happened.
Junichi Dizon Kuribayashi showed up with his mother in the office of the Cebu city Traffic Patrol Group which had invited him for queries.
Kuribashi, a resident of Sunny Hills, barangay Talamban, told police he was in the front passenger seat of the Mazda 2 vehicle and that the driver was his friend 21-year-old Carina Gajudo.
The woman, a former Miss Mandaue titlist and resident of Talamban, is still confined in a private hospital after losing part of her left leg in the accident.
SPO4 Nelson Jayme said the young man narrated that the two were heading home in her car after having drinks in Barcode Bar at Crossroads in Banilad. The accident occurred at 4 a.m. Saturday.
According to the account, Gajudo read a text message on her cellphone upon reaching the Banilad public school and suddenly executed a U-Turn to return to Crossroads and drive through the flyover again.
At that point, the vehicle was weaving left and right.
“Gi-ikis ikis sa babae ang sakyanan, murag gihadlok ang laki,” said SPO4 Jayme. (She was driving in a zigzag manner as if to scare the young man.)
The white Mazda 2 sedan with plate no. YJD 242 rammed the concrete lane divider at the foot of the Ban-Tal flyover and overturned. The impact threw the woman out of the car.
Kuribashi suffered “multiple abrasions secondary to motor vehicle accident” according to the medical certificate from the North General Hospital where he was treated then discharged on Sunday morning.
His driver’s license was found in the wrecked car, leading police to initially identify him as the driver in news reports.
SPO4 Jayme said the young man’s physical appearance looked normal when he went to the police office and he was able to answer questions although “he was at times hesitant.”
Kuribashi’s mother also showed to police photographs of the accident site taken by other people present.
Jayme said the young man and Gajudo were able to converse on the cellphone after the accident but that he was not privy to what they discussed.
Police are waiting for Gajudo to recover well enough before they ask her questions about the accident. The wrecked vehicle has been turned over to Mazda for insurance purposes.
At this point, there is no talk of charges or a complaint filed against any party, said Jayme.
Meanwhile, the Gajudo family requested for privacy over the accident.
“We are deeply touched by the many expressions of concern and support for our daughter Carina. She is obviously still in pain but her doctors say she is out of danger and her condition is stable. With God’s grace, we expect her to fully recover. In the meantime, we request for privacy in this difficult time for our family,” the Gajudo family said in a statement on Sunday./Correspondent Tweeny M. Malinao