A Southern Star bus reportedly collided head on with a motorcycle in Bilar on Sunday night resulting in the death of a male motorcyclist, the third fatality in an accident involving a unit of the bus firm in 2017.
The victim, identified as 63-year-old Crisostomo Tac-an, the village chief of Barangay Quinoguitan, Loboc, was rushed to the hospital but was declared dead on arrival.
According to Bilar traffic investigator PO3 Joel Calamba, the victim was travelling to Loboc while the Ceres bus was moving towards the opposite direction, particularly Talibon, when the accident happened at 6:45 p.m.
Based on the police sketch, Ceres driver Isaias Labajos, a 38-year-old resident of Carmen, was at fault as the bus was already at the opposite lane during the collision.
However, Labajos, narrated to police that Tac-an was zigzagging as he moved towards the Ceres bus prompting him to swerve and avoid the victim’s motorcycle but still ended up in a collision.
Tac-an succumbed to the severe injuries he sustained particularly in his head while Labajos immediately surrendered to authorities.
At the police station, Tac-an’s family and Labajos reportedly made a settlement through financial assistance. Police said that Tac-an was the cousin of Labajos’ wife.
The incident was the fourth accident involving a Ceres bus this year and the 11th in just over a year. (Allen Doydora)