KIANGAN, Ifugao – Thirteen people were injured after the alleged colorum garage van they were riding suffered from mechanical trouble and bumped into a gemelina tree at the left side of the national road in sitio Danghay, barangay Bolog here early Thursday morning.
Senior Superintendent John Colinio, director of the Ifugao provincial police office, said seven of the injured passengers were confined at the Panopdopan district hospital in Lamut town, five of the passengers were flushed to the Ifugao provincial hospital in Lagawe and were immediately released after medical treatment while three of the passengers were unhurt.
Probers disclosed the alleged colorum garage van bearing license plate number XPD-466 owned by a certain Denver Darren Dizon of Betag, La Trinidad, Benguet and driven by Luis Harland Galomite Sagantiyoc of Banaue, Ifugao was en route to Banaue when the driver sensed that the vehicle had mechanical trouble prompting him to pull back but it was too late causing the vehicle to ram into a gemelina tree at the left side of the road.
The injured passengers were immediately rushed to the two medical facilities while the ill-fated vehicle sustained still undetermined amount of damages as it was brought to the Ibulao community police assistance center for safekeeping.
The local police is still ascertaining whether or not the vehicle was authorized by the Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to ferry passengers from a still undisclosed destination.
By Dexter A. See
