Bad Roads, Weather Caused Carmen Bus Crash

[Medic Mike]

THE operator of the bus that was involved in a road crash in Carmen town, northern Cebu blamed bad roads and the weather for the accident last June.

Representatives of Vallacar Transit Inc. which owns the Ceres bus that was involved in the June 22 accident in Carmen yesterday appeared before the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) regional office to answer charges that they were at fault in the accident.

The bus company’s administration manager Renan Villahermosa and counsel Vicente Jose Arnado said the driver Ronald Lato, 37, admitted that he drove into the opposite lane to overtake a tricycle.

Ceres bus (679 CCE) was on its way to Daanbantayan from Mandaue City’s North Bus Terminal when the accident happened.

Edwin Antepuesto, hearing officer of the LTFRB-7, suspected that the driver lost control of the bus when he maneuvered to overtake another vehicle.

As stated in the police report which the LTFRB-7 referred to during the hearing, the bus’ tire exploded.

Villahermosa said the bus firm’s mechanics changed the tires four days before the accident. Antepuesto replied that the company needs to substantiate this claim with proof.

Antepuesto said there was no overloading as there were 38 passengers, the allowed number.
Authorities, however, have yet to verify if the driver was over speeding.

 

http://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/35484/bad-roads-weather-caused-carmen-bus-crash
 

[Americano]

After studying the accident and from riding on Air-cond Ceres buses many times I believe I can tell you what caused the accident. There were 2 or 3 factors which caused the accident. (1) The seats in Air-cond Ceres buses sit very high up therefore when its loaded with passengers the bus is top heavy. Meaning the center of gravity is over half way up the side of the bus.  (2) The driver made a sharp turn or turns going around the tricycle. (3) The road being wet could have allowed the bus tires to slide briefly and then grab the pavement which flipped the bus over on its side.

 

The US Military Jeep during and after WWII had a similar problem. Due to the narrow wheel base the jeep would easily roll over when turned to sharply or riding on the side of a hill. Some US military survived WWII only to die in a jeep when it rolled over on them.