Mindanaotoday.com | 2 dead, 5 hurt in Bukidnon smash-up
By: Uriel Quilinguing
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Two persons died while five others were hurt in a vehicular accident at Sayre highway in Patpat village, Malaybalay City, Bukidnon Saturday afternoon, November 5, this year.
Staff Sgt. Rasty Fuentes of Malaybalay City Police Station named the fatalities as Army Captain Vernel D. Semblante, a resident of Cagayan de Oro; and Loreto Z. Geroy, 60, a resident of Zone 4, Kalasungay village, Malaybalay City.
Semblante, who was one of the two passengers of a black Toyota Fortuner, was with the 10th Intelligence Security Unit and assigned at the Philippine Army’s 4th Infantry Division, Camp Edilberto Evangelista in Patag village, Cagayan de Oro where he was a resident.
Geroy, on the other hand, was the driver of a silver Toyota Innova and was with his daughter Natasha Geroy-Cañaveral, 24, son-in-law Marc Angelo Cañaveral, 24, and a two-year old grandson Lucas Angelo as his passengers.
Both Semblante and Geroy were pronounced dead-on-arrival by attending physicians at the Malaybalay Polymedic General Hospital (MPGH) and at the Bukidnon Provincial Medical Center (BPMC), respectively.
Army Staff Sgt. Orlando Omapas, 41, also of the 10th ISU of the Army Intelligence Regiment, driver of the Toyota Fortuner, and a resident of Macanhan, Carmen village, Cagayan de Oro, was also brought to the MPGH.
An earlier police report mentioned the name of a certain Michael Serino, also a military man and a resident of Barra village, Opol town of Misamis Oriental as the second passenger of the Toyota Fortuner.
The Cañaveral couple and their child were rushed to the BPMC, Malaybalay City.
Eva Geroy-Machinski, Loreto’s younger sister, said his brother was supposed to send off son-in-law Marc Angelo, a teacher by profession, via plane flight at Laguindingan Airport for Metro Manila, after spending a long-weekend with wife Natasha and son in Malaybalay.
“I was shocked with what happened, I need prayers,” said Eva, who has been in the U.S. for years but has been keeping tabs with her family online.
She said her brother has been a contractor of construction projects for years, being a civil engineering graduate.
Among the details the younger Geroy got was that the Toyota Innova (YEJ-735) was headed for Cagayan de Oro and was occupying the inner lane of four-lane Sayre highway at Zone 2, Patpat village – about eight kilometers from Malaybalay City proper – while the black Toyota Fortuner (CRM-223) was on opposite direction when the smash-up occurred.
This was part of the MCPS report which SSgt Fuentes prepared, and that there was a “head-on collision” at the accident site when the Toyota Fortuner bumped the front portion of the Toyota Innova which caused serious injuries to both drivers and their passengers.
With a team of traffic enforcers, Fuentes conducted ocular inspection of the stretch of road that was wet due an early afternoon rain and had initial investigation of the incident.
He said the drivers and their passengers of both ill-fated vehicles were rescued and brought to the MPGH and BPMC by personnel from the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office – Medical Emergency Response Unit.
Dr. Ma. Nena Bernadine Quimpang and Dr. Josen Rey Dragon were the attending physicians at the MPGH and BPMC, respectively. (MT)
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