CEBU, Philippines — Several persons were injured after a passenger bus and an ambulance figured in a collision at the North Reclamation Area in Cebu City yesterday afternoon.
The ambulance was carrying a patient to a hospital while the bus was ferrying passengers to Liloan town from Cebu City Hall.
Initial report showed the ambulance driver and support staff and bus passengers suffered from injuries and bruises.
But police investigators are yet to determine the number of those who were injured as of press time.
Benedic Caldozo, the bus driver, explained his side in the accident, saying they heard no ambulance siren while slowly traversing J. De Vera, General Maxilom Avenue in Barangay Carreta.
Just three meters away from the crossing, he said, they suddenly heard a siren from the ambulance followed by the collision.
“Dahan-dahan po kaming nagpatakbo, wala naman kaming narinig na kahit anong sirena. Nung patawid na kami rito, bigla nalang may waaw-waaww (nag sirena) pag tingin namin malapit na sa sa likuran ko,” Caldozo said.
"So kung ihinto ko, baka lalo kaming maano (bangga), kaya ang ginawa ko inabante, inusad ko nalang, iniwasan ko na. Bumangga na sya sa likuran. Yun yung nangyari," he told the media in an interview.
He said he tried to avoid colliding with the ambulance, but the latter was already too close.
When the ambulance hit the bus, he said, he steered the vehicle away from the center island but it rammed into an electric post.
During the interview, Caldozo was seen limping as according to him he hurt his foot when he stepped on the break while trying to stop the bus from ramming into the post.
The bus was carrying six or eight passengers, he said. — KQD (FREEMAN)