By Zaldy Comanda
A Victory Liner bus on its way to Baguio City crashed into a post in Tuba, Benguet, Monday, resulting in the death of two people.
Inspector James Acod, Tuba police chief, said the accident happened at Sitio Bayacsan, Barangay Taloy Sur at 1:15 p.m. with the Victory Liner bus ramming a concrete post of the Benguet Electric Cooperative or BENECO.
Acod identified the two fatalities as passenger Melba Suarez and bus conductor Joseph Ryan Mesana Lalong.
19 other passengers were injured in the incident. They were rushed to the Benguet General Hospital.
Bus driver Maximo Alday Jr. was taken into custody by police.
If he is found to be at fault, charges of reckless imprudence resulting in double homicide and multiple injuries will likely be filed against him.
Witnesses said there were no other vehicles involved in the accident.
BENECO, meanwhile, assured there will be no power interruption as a result of the bus’ crashing into its electric post.
Ronald Sarmiento, Victory Liner operations manager, said the bus company is cooperating with the police investigation and that it has sent an emergency team to assist the victims.
“We deployed our emergency team composed of several company representatives to the Baguio hospital to ascertain the condition of passengers and provide them with fast and sufficient medical and financial assistance,” Sarmiento said.
“We empathize with the people affected by this accident and we will work hard with the community to avoid such accidents in the future,” added Sarmiento.
