Maasin City, Southern Leyte – A multicab-turn-fish car whose driver tried to evade a parked Rovo car has collided with a motorcycle with one backrider coming from the Upper Ichon, Macrohon as it crossed the bridge in brgy. Amparo and shattering the former’s windshield.

The motorcycle driver was identified as Alexel Tantoy Galdo, 18 years old, resident of Upper Ichon.He is a senior freshman taking up Criminology at Saint Joseph College here. The victim sustained some bruises and injuries on his forehead, knees and other parts of the body. His left leg’s upper knee was fractured including his two wrist arms.

His neighbor backrider was identified as Joshua Reviera Gonzales, 18 years old, jobless, and a school dropout. He sustained slight bruises, but his skull has a crack as seem in an e-ray result by Dr. Elpidio Sibud,a orthopedic surgeon. He suffered from frequent headaches.

Dr. Sibud, the attending physician of the victims, recommended to Gonzales’ parents a CT scan for their son to determine the condition of his brain. He was brought by the provincial hospital’s ambulance to Tacloban City the following day and was confined there for observation

In an interview with Galdo, he said they’ve left Upper Ichon at about 4:00 p.m. a Thursday to visit some friends in brgy. San Joaquin, Macrohon, less than 20 kilometers away from their place. As they reached the bridge in brgy. Amparo, he said, a multicab-turn-fish car was evading a Revo car parked near the bridge’s entrance. The car was unloading some passengers who were about to enter the inner road towards brgy. Mabini. However, the multicab collided instead with his motorcycle in the bridge as they were driving in opposite direction, he said. The bridge has served as the marked boundary between the 2 barangays of Amparo and Mabini.

He said the multicab’s windshield was shattered from the impact of collision that hit his forehead, spraining his 2 arms and wounding some parts of his body. The multicab’s front was also deformed, he said, while his motorcycle has also suffered some damages. He claimed he do not know what happened next as he became unconscious. He regained his consciousness on the way before they’ve reached the provincial hospital..

He said he found later on that it was the helper of the fish car’s driver who brought him to the hospital for emergency treatment. He said the multicab’s driver has no injuries. While his helper who sat besides him has a cut on his face, which was treated at the hospital.

Ludy Tantoy Galdo, 42 years old, the victim’s mother disclosed that the fish car’s owner residing in brgy. Pugaling (Isagani) has provided some financial assistance for his son’s medications. He has also shouldered half of the cost of the expensive stainless steel needed as bone support during the operation.

She informed both of them have favored for an amicable settlement to settle their case as they’ve discussed it in front of the police investigator at the Macrohon police station.

As of press time, the victim with stretched left leg has continued taking his prescribed medications administered by the nurse on duty. He has already undergone a bone operation the other day by Dr. Sibud, his attending physician. (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).