1 killed, 2 injured in road accident near Cebu city

CEBU CITY — One person was killed while two others were injured when a car hit them before falling onto the seashore of Badian town shortly before 6 p.m. on Thursday.

The police identified the fatality as Climaco Alquizar, 20, a resident of Barangay (village) Malabago, Badian, around 97 kilometers southwest of Cebu City. Alquizar’s face was badly damaged and he sustained head injuries, fracture in his hands and legs and a wound in the stomach, according to Badian police investigator Police Officer 2 Randy Balansag.

The two other victims who sustained severe injuries were identified as Edieberto Cabalieda, 52 and Juncarl Aspacio, 23, also from Malabago.

Balansag said the two were brought to Badian District Hospital before they were transferred to a hospital in Cebu City.

The driver of the car, Dr. Samson dela Peña, the rural health officer of the nearby town of Alegria, admitted to the police that he fell asleep while driving his white Mitsubishi Galant Sedan (plate number GDM 587) in an 18-kilometer trip from Alegria towards his residence in barangay Banhigan in Badian at around 5:45 p.m.

Balansag said all the three victims were sitting on the edge of the left side of the road but facing towards the sea.

The doctor’s car, which was traveling on the right lane of the road, swerved to the left, directly hitting the three victims before the car dropped onto the seashore.

Balansag said Alquizar’s body was dragged with the car when it fell while Cabalieda and Aspacio were thrown away. The wall of a house was also damaged.

Dela Peña who was detained at the Badian Police station promised to shoulder all the medical expenses of the injured victims and the burial expenses of the fatality.

The police were waiting for the relatives of the victims to come over so they could decide to just settle the case or charge the doctor with reckless imprudence resulting to homicide and serious physical injuries.