Maasin City, Southern Leyte – A driver of a private service multicab together with 2 others among the 4 riders were seriously injured when the multicab accidentally hit a tree on October 12, 2008 upon reaching a curve road in Brgy. Molopolo, Macrohon, which is more or less 15 kilometers away from the city of Maasin.

The victims were identified as Richard K. Espenido, 24 years old, resident of Brgy. Sto. Rosario, Padre Burgos, the driver; Edna Aure-Espenido, 40 years old, also resident of? Sto.Rosario, Padre Burgos, the driver?s wife; and Randy L. Bacolod, 23 years old, resident of Brgy. Bunga, Padre Burgos. The other passenger, Rolando Mausisa, 36 years old, also a resident of Sto.Rosario, Padre Burgos is unhurt.

Espenido sustained a fractured left leg. His wife Edna sustained a forehead injury with 20 stitches.. While 3 layers of Bacolod?s spinal bones were dislocated as shown by his x-ray results. His back head was also swollen. Attending physician Dr. Elpidio Sibud placed a cervical collar on the victim?s neck. The duration of placement or wearing of the cervical collar, it was learned, would depend on the patient?s progress or his response to the therapeutic measure.

In an interview with the driver at the Salvacion Oppus-Y?iguez Memorial Provincial Hospital (SOYMPH) on October 15, 2008, he intimated that the time was past 9:00 a.m. and the road looked straight as he drove along Macrohon area going to Maasin. He claimed he was only aware of the real condition of the road in Brgy. Molopolo when he bumped the multicab on a tree on the right portion of the national highway. The impact was strongly forceful, he said, that the three of them were seriously injured. “Guilamat ako niadtong higayona“, he said in Cebuano. “Ang akong pagtan-aw sa kaldasa tul-id man.Diha na ako nakamatngon nga kurbada diay sa dihang nabangga na ang multicab sa kahoy.” (I was hallucinated in that particular instance?)

Some drivers in Macrohon and in Maasin have similar complains with that of the new victim in that particular curve road in Brgy. Molopolo, that those past injured victims were experiencing hallucinations. ?Drivers of all kinds of vehicles should be cautiously watchful when negotiating in that particular curve road in Brgy. Molopolo?, a motorcycle driver warns.

The injured driver will undergo bone operation by the aforesaid orthopedic surgeon. He said he needs a stainless steel as supportive brace to connect his fractured leg. (Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr.)

About the Contributor:

Mr. Quirico M. Gorpido Jr was an erstwhile Correspondent/Contributor to the following weeklies and dailies: Tacloban-based regional weekly a 33-year-old The Reporter for many years(now defunct), a Cebu-based weekly The Visayan Express(now defunct),Cebu-based daily The Freeman(1994-1998) now a sister publication of The Philippine Star, Maasin-based weekly The Southern Leyte Times for three years, Tacloban-based daily The Leyte Samar Daily Express(2000-2001), Cebu-based daily the Cebu Daily News(2002-2003), Tacloban-based weekly 7-year-old Tribune(2003-2007).