Truck driver in SRP tunnel collision to face charges

CEBU, Philippines — Authorities will file charges against the driver of the 60-footer prime mover truck for allegedly causing a 10-vehicle smashup at the South Road Properties (SRP) tunnel in Cebu City Wednesday afternoon, leaving 12 people injured.

Joy Tulag, 23, a native of Borbon town in Cebu, will be facing charges of reckless imprudence resulting in multiple physical injuries and damage to property.

The suspect is currently detained at the Fuente Osmeña Police Station stockade in Cebu City pending the filing of charges against him.

Police Officer 3 Chady Jungoy, investigator of the Cebu City Traffic Office, said they are holding Tulag responsible for his reckless driving.

Based on their initial investigation, Jungoy said, the truck driven by Tulag lost its brakes while traversing the SRP tunnel's blind curve.

Vehicles involved in the multiple collision were a prime mover, two L300 vans, two 10-wheeler trucks, a Toyota Vios, a Montero Sport, a taxi, and a motorcycle.

Authorities have yet to determine the cost of the damage.

The collision resulted in a four-hour heavy traffic at the SRP.

The injured victims, who suffered bruises and scratches, were rushed to the hospital and are now recuperating.

With the recent accident, the city will soon use speed guns to detect fast-moving vehicles.

The city has already ordered two speed guns, which will help authorities monitor and run after those who exceed the speed limit at the SRP.

City Ordinance 801 or the Traffic Code of Cebu City requires motorists to observe the 40 kilometers-per-hour speed.

Article 7 Section 2 of the ordinance provides that vehicles passing highways and streets without blind corners are only allowed a maximum speed of 40 kph.

City Transportation Office Operation's Head Francisco "Isko" Ouano said motorists have to heed the speed limit to help curb vehicular accidents in the area.

The SRP tunnel, he said, is an accident-prone area because motorists still do not observe the allowed speed limit.

"I think, tungod sa kakusog padagan. Mag-drive sila wala'y presence of mind, mag-text-text while driving," Ouano said.

Accidents occur at the SRP every week due to overspeeding, he added.

Among the plans to curb accidents at the SRP tunnel is to ban motorcycles from passing through the subway, said Ouano.

 "Planohan nato nga ang motrocycyle dili paagion sa tunnel kay pait kaayo og maangin sa disgrasya. Huyang baya tawon na," he said.

At his regular press conference, Mayor Tomas Osmeña, on the other hand, said he is against the banning of trucks at the SRP.

 "I'll tell you something, people look at for themselves. But the purpose of the south coastal road is to encourage the dispersal of industry into the south. If you create a dispersal of industry into the south you disperse the jobs, when you disperse the jobs, you disperse the people. That's why I am against this all banning of trucks," he said. —KBQ (FREEMAN)