BONTOC, Mtn. Prov.– Daisy Karen Pangilinan, was 47 years old, resident of Bontoc Mountain Province and nurse at the Bontoc General Hospital when she died due to a vehicular accident at Marcos Highway, Baguio City two weeks ago.
In an interview with Elizabeth Eketan, relative of the victim, it was gathered that the victim together with her husband, Raffy, traveled to Baguio City from Bontoc on September 14 purposely to buy tiles and other accessories for the finishing of the first floor of their residential building located at Samoki, Bontoc. The victim really wanted to personally select the design and color of the tiles and the other items.
On September 15, the couple proceeded to Marcos Highway, Baguio City to buy the items. The couple bought the needed items from two business establishments along the hjighway.
The couple with the driver of the truck where the purchased items were loaded were set to leave when the victim told her husband that she would buy first a glass box.
The victim was able to buy the item and was already on her way to the area where her husband was waiting when a runaway cement mixer truck hit vehicles and motorcycles along the way where the victim was walking.
The husband wondered why only the delivery boy carrying the glass box reached them. He called up immediately the number of his wife at 12:47 pm and it was already unattended. Their last phone conversation was at 12:45 pm. The husband immediately proceeded to the accident site and saw his wife in between two vehicles.
The husband immediately asked help from bystanders and it was a good thing some BFP personnel were near the area who responded immediately.
SFO1 Roger dela Cruz and FO2 Oswald Ponso from the Sablan Fire Station of Sablan, Benguet and bystanders immediately rescued the victim and rushed her to the Baguio General Hospital Medical Center that only took eight minutes.
Dela Cruz said in an interview with this writer that they were eating at that time when the accident happened. He said that they used the emergency rescue vehicle of the local government unit of Sablan, Benguet in rushing the victim to BGHMC.
The husband noticed that his wife was already unconscious but still with a pulse on their way to the hospital.
The husband pleaded to the hospital personnel to do everything so that he can bring home her wife alive but eventually the victim expired at around 1:37 p.m.
Many people attended the wake and joined in her funeral on September 19 with a mass at the Cathedral of All Saints, Poblacion, Bontoc. Mabel Banggawan narrated the story of what really happened to her younger sister during the mass and commended and thanked the very quick response of the BFP personnel and bystanders. She was finally laid to rest at Samoki, Bontoc. She is survived by her husband and three young daughters.
Based on the report of the Baguio City Police Station Traffic Unit emailed by dela Cruz, the accident happened at KM. 5 Marcos Highway fronting Mamitas Café and Restaurant, Baguio City wherein an Isuzu Transit mixer truck driven by Allan Dockey who came from the direction of Tuba, Benguet and heading towards Baguio City proper.
While descending, the truck hit the rear portion of an a Toyota Hi-ace van in front driven by Francis Agtarap. Due to the strong impact, the latter vehicle was pushed forward hitting the left portion of a Mitsubishi Gallant driven by Teofilo Aquinde while the truck was continuously moving forward dragging the two vehicles, then swerved to the right and bumped the rear portion of a Toyota Fortuner wagon parked unattended at the designated parking area of the Uncle & Auntie Kambingan Restaurant.
Due to the strong impact, the Fortuner was pushed forward then its front portion bumped the concrete wall of the Uncle & Auntie Kambingan Restaurant then twisted to the left facing Marcos Highway. But the truck continued to move downward and hit a female pedestrian walking on the roadside who was later identified as Daisy Pangilinan.
The police report further stated that after hitting the victim, the truck continued moving downward hitting a BENECO electrical post, then a parked motorcycle, and then sideswiped the rear portion of a parked Kia Carnival van,
Still, the truck continued moving towards the same direction hitting the rear portion of a parked Toyota Tamaraw FX wagon which in turn bumped and ran over a parked motorcycle and hit the rear portion of a parked Honda CRV wagon.
The truk finally stopped after hitting the Tamaraw FX. Teofilo Aquinde and occupant Elmer Tamondong sustained injuries and brought themselves to the BGHMC for treatment and were later released.** Ferdie Cariño Castañeda
