ILOILO City — A 28-year-old private tricycle driver and his senior citizen aunt were hospitalized after their vehicle crashed into stockpiled concrete box culverts along a road in Barangay Divinagracia, La Paz district, shortly after 1 a.m. Wednesday, November 11.
The driver, alias “Ahli,” sustained a shallow puncture wound to his chest after being struck by an exposed steel rebar protruding from the construction block. His elderly aunt suffered head injuries from the impact of the collision.
According to initial police reports, the driver was transporting his aunt home to Barangay Alalasan, Lapuz district when the tricycle hit a concrete box culvert positioned along the opposite lane.
The impact caused the tricycle to wobble violently out of control, throwing the driver directly onto the protruding steel rod.
Both victims were rushed to the hospital for medical treatment.
The precast U-drains and concrete box culverts – around 20 units in total – are lined up along the road stretch connecting barangays Aguinaldo and Divinagracia for an ongoing drainage construction project.
Residents of barangays Divinagracia, Aguinaldo, and Alalasan expressed severe concern over the hazard, pointing out that the construction materials were left along the roadway without any warning signs, safety barricades, or reflectors.
They are appealing to local authorities and project contractors to properly store the materials and immediately install warning devices to prevent further accidents.
Locals said the stockpiled culverts have narrowed the street, causing traffic delays and posing severe collision risks to motorists and pedestrians./PN
