Ambulance driver killed in collision with bus

By Jennifer P. Rendon and Felipe V. Celino 

A rescue ambulance driver of the Tapaz Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) died in a road mishap Sunday afternoon at Brgy. Malitbog in Tapaz, Capiz.

Joemare Gasis, 39, a resident of Barangay Salong, Tapaz died a few hours after the incident.

Gasis was driving the rescue ambulance of the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO)-Tapaz when he figured in a road incident around 6 pm Sunday.

Gasis was to respond to a victim of electrocution when he collided with a Calinog Bus Line (CBL) bus driven by Joemary Gello-ano, 35, of Barangay Lonoy, Calinog, Iloilo.

Witnesses’ accounts said that the bus tried to evade a parked tricycle until he noticed an ambulance on the opposite lane.

Gello-ano navigated back to his lane but it was too late for the speeding ambulance to evade, and it crashed into the bus’ rear portion

The impact heavily damage the ambulance, particularly the driver’s side.

Gasis sustained wounds on his head and got his leg fractured.

He was rushed to Roxas Memorial Provincial Hospital in Roxas City. He was supposed to be transferred to a hospital in Iloilo City but he died around 10:00 in the evening.

Two passengers of the bus were also wounded. They were identified as Charlyn Distajo, 24, of Barangay Bag-ong Barrio, Tapaz, and Rodrigo Lombo, 12, of Barangay San Roque, Tapaz.

Gello-ano is detained for proper disposition of his case.