Driver, 3-year-old boy killed as van, bus collide in Cebu

Road crash (RADYO INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / ERWIN AGUILLON)

CEBU CITY—  Two passengers, one of them a three-year-old boy, were killed while six others were wounded on Tuesday night, when the van they were riding in collided with a passenger bus along the national highway in Tuburan town, about 113.3 kilometers north of here.

The police identified the fatalities as Napoleon Mahinay and CJ Senening, 3.

Wounded were Victoria Senening, Francisca Senening, Marjie Mahinay, Nelson Senening, Trixie Senening and Kates Mahinay, 2.

The victims were heading home to Barangay Tabunoc, in Tabuelan after attending a birthday party of a relative in Barangay Cinco, Tuburan, said PO3 Jameller Palanas Jr., the Tuburan police investigator.

Based on their initial investigation, Palanas said that both vehicles had been running fast at the time of the collision.

The van, however, rammed into the approaching Ceres bus that was heading to Cebu City about 8 p.m.

The impact left the front portion of the van a wreck. Napoleon, who was driving the van, and CJ who was in the front seat, were killed on the spot.

Victoria, Francisca and Marnie suffered serious injuries and were brought to Cebu City hospital for treatment. Kates, Trixie and Nelson only had minor wounds and were sent home.

Bus driver Ruben Umpad, 30, of Barangay Basak in Lapu-Lapu City surrendered to the police after the accident and was detained pending filing of charges.

He told the investigators that he didn’t notice the approaching van and only heard the loud crash. He denied falling asleep while driving.

Palanas said they would determine if Napoleon was under the influence of alcohol considering that he came from a party.

“We have yet to talk to the survivors to also get their side. Some of them especially the kids (Kates and Trixie) were still in shock and Nelson kept crying when we visited them,” said Palanas.  SFM