The ambulance was carrying a COVID-19 positive patient when a sports utility vehicle struck the left side of the ambulance, resulting to a 3-vehicle collision and killing the ambulance driver.
[Updated as of 7:30PM, 11/11]– An ambulance driver of South Bacolod General Hospital was killed, while 3 others were wounded when the ambulance that is on its way to transfer a COVID-19 patient was hit by a Mitsubishi Sports Utility Vehicle at the junction of Lacson-San Sebastian Street, past 1 p.m, today.
The fatality was identified as Jessie Tranilla.
Bystanders who witnessed the collision said that the ambulance was crossing the intersection of Lacson-San Sebastian Street, going to north direction, when the SUV, coming from the west direction, crossed the intersection and bumped onto the side of the ambulance. The SUV was driven by 21-year-old Kenny Arillo, a resident of Brgy. Alijis.
Due to the impact, the ambulance swerved out of the way, overturned, and slammed into Maria Kusina’s food truck at the middle of the road.
According to Genesis Graellos, 32, driver of Maria Kusina Catering truck, he was already in full stop to give way to the incoming ambulance when the accident took place. However, due to the impact and speed of the ambulance, the ambulance hit the truck’s bumper and flipped onto its roof causing major damage on the ambulance. Graellos suffered minor injuries due to the impact.
Rescuers who arrived at the accident had difficulty extracting the injured after the driver and passenger at the front seat were stuck inside the ambulance and suffered multiple injuries.
The road was closed for traffic for a short time as volunteers from Chamber Volunteer Fire Brigade cleared the road from debris.
Injured hospital personnels were brought back to Bacolod South General Hospital for appropriate medical care, while the COVID-19 patient is now being treated at Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital.
The crash remains under investigation as of this writing, while Arillo is currently detained at the custodial facility of Police Precinct 1.
