COM SCI JUNIOR INJURED IN HIT AND RUN

  BY MONNA SENARA

SAFETY FIRST. Aldwyn Cabarrubias crosses the street with care at the pedestrian lane after learning his lesson from his hit and run incident last September 27.

    A third year computer science student was hit by a jeepney while crossing the street from the University of the Philippines (UP) Main Campus to the Arts and Sciences Building last September 27.

            Aldwyn F. Cabarrubias was brought to Cebu City Medical Center after obtaining bruises and scratches from the hit and run incident that happened at 9:30 a.m.

            “When I disembarked from the jeep, there was another jeep that stopped at the pedestrian lane and blocked my view from oncoming vehicles. While I was at the middle of the road, a third jeep suddenly overtook it, coming so fast,” Cabarrubias said.

            He said that he was in a hurry because he was already late for his 9 a.m. class. He immediately crossed the street a few meters away from the pedestrian lane, after disembarking from the jeep that stopped just before the orange unloading area.

            He was hit by the side of the jeep, throwing him off three meters away and into the opposite lane.

            “I became dizzy at that time. Good thing the driver and konduktor of another jeep came to help me,” Cabarrubias said.

            His friend, Mary Kaye Bucad, a fourth year computer science student, witnessed the incident and accompanied him to the hospital. After the X-ray results cleared him of fractured or broken bones, his bruises were treated and dressed. He also received an anti-tetanus shot and prescription medicine. He was released from the hospital in the afternoon after spending six hours there.

            The medical expenses, which were shouldered by Bucad, were later on reimbursed through the student insurance.

            Cabarrubias reported the jeepney with plate number GWF 143 to the Cebu City Traffic Operations Management (CITOM) Office that same day. However, it was later found out that they reported a wrong plate number. However, the driver of the reported jeepney was still suspended.

            “We conducted proper investigation of what happened. We confirmed that the plate number given by the student wasn’t the one that hit him,” said UP Cebu Head Security Guard, Allan M. Mayuela.

            “The jeep that hit me was on its way to Colon but I was thrown off to the opposite lane. So I mistook the jeep from that lane that dodged around me for the jeep that actually hit me,” said Cabarrubias.

            Mayuela said that they are waiting for Cabarrubias to submit a letter saying that he won’t file a complaint against the driver so that they can inform CITOM office and release the mistaken driver. However, at present, Cabarrubias has not accomplished the letter yet but said that he will not hold the driver liable for the incident.

            “I won’t ask liabilities from him because I think he is in need [financially] and he did that to evade expenses,” he said.

            Cabarrubias admitted that he was partly at fault in the incident for not crossing the road properly, but the driver is also to blame for not slowing down in a school zone.

            “I think crossing the street here is fairly safe but pedestrians need to cross carefully. The jeepneys should also slow down and not stop at the pedestrian lane but at the designated orange area,” Cabarrubias said.

            Mayuela said that though Cabarrubias was at fault, drivers who do not follow traffic signs and warnings also contribute to this kind of incident.

            “Drivers should really be mindful and careful when passing through a school zone but they just take the signs for granted,” said Mayuela.

            Meanwhile, Cabarrubias said he is recovering well from the incident. He also received treatment from the school clinic for the dressing of his wounds.