ABUCAY, Bataan — Three died while 34 others were injured when a passenger bus and an oil tanker travelling in opposite direction at the Roman Highway here collided head-on at dawn of Wednesday.
Major Dennis Duran, Abucay police chief, identified the fatalities as Walter Buenaventura, 50, Bataan Transit bus driver; Reynaldo Monte, 49, oil tanker driver; and a still unidentified male passenger of the oil tanker.
Report showed that the passenger bus was travelling from Balanga City to Manila when it figured in a head-on collision with the oncoming oil tanker at the portion of the highway in Barangay Laon at 2:30 in the morning.
Police said in the course of travel of the two vehicles, the oil tanker occupied the inner/fast lane of the lane traversed by the bus that resulted in the smash-up.
Injured passengers of the bus and one helper of the oil tanker were rushed to different hospitals in the province while the two drivers and the unidentified oil tanker passenger died on the spot, Senior Master Sgt. Alex Buenaventura, Abucay police investigator, said.
Bus passenger Raymond Pariñas, 34, of Limay, Bataan said he was using his cellphone when his head hit the handle of the seat of the bus.
“Nagulat na lang ako nang biglang huminto ang bus at pag-untog ng ulo ko, akala ko umatras lang ang upuan ko pero may biglang sumigaw sa likod ko na “pre, may dugo ako’. Tapos nakita ko pa isa kong kasamahan na may sugat sa braso at dumudugo na at ang isa ko pang kasama ay dumudugo rin ang ulo,” Pariñas said.
He said he was with a group of 15 bound for Manila and all of them were hurt. “Ang iba may sugat, ang iba lamog ang katawan.”
“Malakas ang narinig kong kalabog at malakas ang impact sa amin dahil malakas ang pagkakabunggo sa amin. Iiniwas pa nga ng driver namin ang bus kaya napunta kami sa gilid bago ito namatay,” Pariñas said.
Police said investigation is still going on.
