Cebu City crash: Female back-rider dies after truck runs over her
CEBU CITY, Philippines — A 28-year-old woman riding pillion on a motorcycle died after the motorcycle she was riding crashed with a commercial truck along S. Osmeña Boulevard in Cebu City on Friday morning, August 14.
The collision happened at around 9:01 a.m. as the two vehicles were traveling along the middle lane toward Robinsons Galleria, according to the Cebu City Police Office Traffic Enforcement Unit (TEU).
Motorcycle, truck crash
Initial investigation showed that the motorcycle, driven by a 64-year-old man, was slightly ahead of the truck driven by a 47-year-old man when they reached the area of the incident.
Based on the statements of both drivers, CCTV footage obtained from the Cebu City Transportation Office’s Eagle’s Eye, and dashcam footage provided by the truck driver, the motorcycle slightly swerved to the left while the truck was in the process of overtaking.
The right side portion of the truck then struck the left side portion of the motorcycle, police said.
The impact threw both the motorcycle driver and his back-rider onto the road pavement.
The back-rider subsequently went underneath the truck and was run over by its right tire, according to the police report.
She was immediately brought to the Cebu City Medical Center, where the attending physician declared her dead on arrival.
Drivers give accounts
The 47-year-old truck driver, who was traveling from Mandaue toward Colon, denied overtaking the motorcycle.
He said traffic was flowing slowly and there was not enough room to overtake.
According to him, he did not notice the motorcycle before he suddenly felt something hit the side of his vehicle.
“Kami pareho ra mig dagan, hinay-hinay ra, flowing man kaayo, dili busy ang karsada. Flowing ang traffic. Nya karon kalit lang naa’y ning lagubo diri sa akong kilid. Wa ko kabantay motor, nikalit lang naa’y ning lagubo diri sa akong kilid,” the truck driver said.
(We were going at the same pace, just driving slowly. It was very smooth. The road wasn’t busy. The traffic was flowing. And then suddenly, something crashed right beside me. I didn’t notice a motorcycle. It just suddenly crashed right beside me.)
He pointed to the mark on the vehicle as an indication of where the motorcycle made contact and suggested that the motorcycle may have moved toward his lane.
The 64-year-old motorcycle driver, meanwhile, gave a different account.
He said he and his passenger were heading toward Pier 3 when the truck allegedly overtook them and moved into their path, causing the truck to hit his elbow.
“Kanang sakyanan nga nakasangki nako, ni-overtake na siya. Nidirtso og sira kay ni-overtake man iyahang sakyanan, maong naigo akoang siko,” the motorcycle driver said.
(That vehicle that hit me, it was overtaking me. It just went straight to close the gap because its vehicle was overtaking, which is why my elbow got hit.”)
He said he lost sight of his passenger after the collision.
When he managed to get up and look back, he saw her already underneath or struck by the vehicle, he said.
READ: Sibonga motorcycle crash kills 38-year-old rider
Passenger was not known to driver
The motorcycle driver also said he did not personally know the 28-year-old passenger.
He said they had only spoken on Monday, August 10, when the woman asked for his number so she could contact him to pick her up and take her home.
The driver said he is from Barangay Jagobiao in Mandaue City, while the woman was from Barangay Basak, which he described as a boundary area between the two communities.
As of this writing, the TEU said the truck driver remains in custody following the incident.
Police are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the fatal collision.
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