CEBU CITY, Philippines—Two graduating high school students were killed while four others were badly injured Thursday afternoon when they were hit by a car before it turned turtle on the bridge in Barangay (village) Poblacion, Boljoon town, about 103 kilometers south of here. Judy Ann Lomera, 17, a resident of Poblacion, suffered severe head wounds and died on the spot. Christy Marie Estella, 18, died at the hospital in Cebu City in the evening. Both were fourth year students at the Boljoon National High School and were supposed to graduate this March. Wounded were Joanne Marie Romero, 16 and 4th year student at the Boljoon National High School; Melissa Mendez, 14; her cousin Kynth Marie Mendez, 14; and Nice Ancheta, 15. The last three are all sophomore students at the same school. The driver, Al-Dhinier Sanaani, 26, and a medical representative, was detained at the police detention cell pending the filing of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide and multiple physical injury charges. Sanaani and Kristine Joyce Batucan, 26, both medical representatives of Menarini Philippines Inc., were heading home to Cebu City after delivering medicines in Dumaguete City in Negros Oriental. The car was owned by Batucan but Sanaani drove the vehicle because she was not feeling well. Senior Police Officer 3 Roderick Roma, investigator at the Boljoon Police station, said the car was running at a speed of between 70 and 80 kph when Sanaani suddenly realized that the vehicle was at the edge of the road and was only about two meters away from the right railings of the Lusapon Bridge along the national highway. Roma said Sanaani immediately swerved the vehicle to the left but the car hit the students who were walking home from school about 4 p.m. The girls were thrown off the bridge and fell about 13 meters below. The car rammed into the railings and turned turtle. Sanaani and Batucan suffered minor injuries. Lomera, Romero and Estella landed on the boulder at the side of the river. The three other girls fell on the riverbank. Lomera died on the spot. Most of the five were unconscious when taken to the municipal health center before they were transferred to hospital in Cebu City. Originally posted: 7:07 pm | Thursday, February 6th, 2014 2 students killed, 4 hurt by wayward car in Cebu town | Inquirer News
Sad yes - but fatal accidents happen throughout the Philippines on a daily basis, the vast majority caused by stupidity, poor maintenance, or irresponsible unqualified untested drivers, and rarely get reported on, unless there is a foreigner involved.
More on Boljoon Tragedy American coming for fiancee CEBU, Philippines - "He was devastated, he cried and he just wanted to hear her voice for the last time while on the phone." That was how US Navy James felt and reacted when he learned that his fiancée, Cristy Marie Estella, 18, died after a car rammed into her and her classmates in Poblacion, Boljoon, Cebu Thursday afternoon. Cecilio Estella, 48, said James was originally scheduled to fly to Cebu on March 7 to see his daughter, Cristy Marie. James, Cecilio said, now wants to come the soonest, initially saying he would arrive yesterday, but the American could not immediately get a flight Thursday, the day of the accident. James is rebooking his ticket so he could see Cristy before she is laid to rest; Cecilio, though, said he has yet to receive confirmation on James' arrival. Cecilio narrated that before she died, Cristy told him that her, him, and her mother Jocelyn would fetch James together at the airport when he comes on March 7. Freeman ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: Now, Cristy would no longer be there, and James would be coming heartbroken for Cristy's funeral. Cecilio learned that Cristy met an accident from his brother-in-law, who was shouting from far away while Cecilio was on top of a coconut tree. "Naa ko sa taas sa lubi kay mananggot nakadungog na man kog naay nagsangpit manoy manoy pauli diri (I was gathering coconut wine when my brother-in-law came shouting for me to climb down and go home)," he said. Cecilio said never suspected something was amiss, and did not imagine that it was for him to know that his daughter, whom they hoped would bring them out of poverty, has been killed. Cristy died hours after she was rushed to Chong Hua Hospital in Cebu City. *"Sakit gyud sir, di lalim ang pag-alima nako ana niya (It was very painful. I took good care of her)," Cecilio told The FREEMAN. He said that the family looked to Cristy to help send her brothers and her sister to college. "Ilang giputol ang kaugmaon sa akong anak (They destroyed her future)," Cecilio said of medical representatives Al-Dhinier Hadjula Sanaani, who drove the Toyota Vios Sedan, and Kristine Joyce Batucan, who owned the vehicle. Sanaani and Batucan were also injured during the accident, which claimed the lives of Cristy and her classmates Judy Ann Lomera and Joanne Marie Romero. A teary-eyed Cecilio said he would seek justice for his daughter's death and would press charges against Sanaani. He would not accept offers of amicable settlement from Sanaani, saying "bisa'g bubo-an pa nila og kwarta akong anak dili pa paigo (even if they would pour money on us it would not be enough)." Christine Joy, 16, said her elder sister wanted to tell her something that day, but that she told her to go home first because she still had classes. Now, Christine said, she would never know what Cristy would have liked to say to her. Insp. Dexter Basirgo, Boljoon police chief, said Sanaani will be facing three counts of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide and three more counts of reckless imprudence resulting in serious physical injuries. We're wondering if these 'Medical Representatives' were tested for the drugs they peddle to doctors here. We often see them stalking the halls at the medical center in their shiny attires and heavy satchels.
