Update On Vehicular Accident In Sablan, Benguet: 1 Killed And 9 Others Injured

Around 4:45 p.m. yesterday, a passenger bus figured in an accident along a stretch of the Naguilian Road in Banangan, Sablan, Benguet. The bus came from Baguio City and was headed to the province of Abra. One passenger died while nine others were injured. Those who incurred injuries were rushed by responders to the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center (BGHMC) for treatment.

Police investigation showed that the driver of the bus lost control of the brakes. With the bus speeding down the highway, the driver rammed it into the side of the road. If he didn't, the bus would've fallen down a steep ravine.

The lone fatality has been identified as Tommy Quesada Hipol, a 40-year-old bus washer from Caoayan, Burgos, La Union. Hipol reportedly jumped out of the bus and hit a riprap wall when the driver announced that the vehicle was having a mechanical problem.

Of the nine passengers who were injured, 7 are from La Union, 1 from Baguio City, and 1 from Sablan, Benguet. Eight of them were taken to Baguio City for treatment. One refused saying she sustained minor injuries on her feet.

The bus was carrying 43 passengers. It was on its way to Abra with a stopover in La Union. The driver will be facing charges of reckless imprudence resulting to homicide and serious physical injuries and damage to property.

Image credit: Rafael Valencia of 911 On Call: Baguio

This incident is just the latest in several vehicular accidents that occurred in the Cordillera region this year. It can be recalled that last February, one person died when a truck fell off a ravine in Bauko, Mt. Province. In March, another person perished when a truck fell in Lagawe, Ifugao. And just this past month, the driver of a van was killed when his vehicle collided with a passenger jeepney in Bontoc, Mt. Province.