Motorcycle passenger dies in Cebu road mishap

A police traffic investigator takes a photo of the accident in Carcar City, southern Cebu that killed the passenger of the motorcycle after colliding with a Cebu City-owned bus on Friday. Photo by Marquee Luzano, Inquirer contributor

CEBU CITY—A 21-year-old man was killed on Friday morning when a motorcycle he was riding collided with a Cebu City-owned bus in Sitio Lagang, Barangay Ocaña, Carcar City, about 42 kilometers south of here.

James Lei Sumagang, a resident of San Fernando town in Cebu, was declared dead on arrival at the district hospital in Carcar.

Wounded was Arnel Udtohan, 20, who drove the motorcycle boarded by Sumagang, said PO2 Regie Amad of the Carcar police station.

Udtohan and Sumagang were heading to Cebu City on board an XRM motorcycle (with plate number GD 42845) when the incident happened.

Prior to the incident, the yellow bus (plate number SKC 573) was ferrying residents from Barangay Pardo in Cebu City for Birhen sa Lindogon Shrine in Barangay Simala, Sibonga.

Bus driver Bernardo Estores, 41, said the motorcycle swerved to the opposite lane while trying to overtake a multi-cab and ended up hitting the bus.

Amad said the motorcycle fell on its side, throwing off Sumagang and Udtohan.

Sumagang may have suffered head injuries during the fall because he didn’t wear any helmet, said Amad.

Only Udtohan was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash. JPV