Railings Construction Saves Motorcycle Driver From Sudden Death

March 8,2010
Railings Construction Saves Motorcycle Driver From Sudden Death
By Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr

Maasin City, Southern Leyte-A motorcycle driver together with his neighbor-companion rammed his motorcycle against the railings constructed beside a deep cliff when he changed gear but lost control of its speed as he descended down the “Saddle” road in Pintuyan town where they were going to participate in a disco dance one Sunday evening.
The victim was identified as Gerald Miole Castaños,21 years old, single, and a fourth year high school student. He is a resident of San Francisco town and was enrolled at Caasai High School of the same place.
His neighbor-backrider was identified as Nobi Aspirin, 18 years old, single,an out-of-school youth. He was his neighbor and a boon companion is going to disco dancing.
In an interview with LSDE he said that they went to Pintuyan town about 40 kilometers away from San Francisco to participate in a disco dance. On their way to the place they have to hurdle the upclimb zigzag road dubbed as “Saddle” This kind of difficult rough road was inevitably constructed beside a deep cliff overlooking the vast open ocean.
This rare geological barrier has no substitute where a public and private car or vehicle can avoid passing it as there’s no other access road or detour road to reach the proper town of Pintuyan and San Ricardo.
A faint-hearted individual/.person may shun going to either of the two aforementioned municipalities by car for any purpose, if he/she could not dare to see below the cliff, which is estimated at 300 feet above sea level.
Castaños narrated that as he negotiated the upclimb zigzag road another single motorcycle has overtaken him. A passenger bus was also following his trail.
As he was about to reach the descent portion of the road he changed gear, he said. But suddenly he lost control of its speed as he descended down and rammed his motorcycle against the railings constructed just beside the cliff.
He said his right arm was struck upon the railings and it was so painful that he could not help but shout if touched by anyone.
He said the passenger bus stopped and he was helped aboard together with his companion and they were brought to the Pintuyan District Hospital for emergency treatment.
However, the on-duty physician, whom he failed to identify, told his parents the following day to bring him to the provincial hospital here because the Pintuyan hospital has no x-ray apparatus. Besides, the hospital has no orthopedic surgeon to attend to any problem regarding bone fractures.
“Ang akong tuong bukton nga nalamba sa railings ninghubag ug guihilantan ako pag-ayo”, he said in Cebuano “ug ning-anam-anam lang pagkunhod ang akong hilanat sa dihang nakainom ako sa antibiotic or pain reliever sulod sa upat ka adlaw.Pagka sunod adlaw gui-operahan na dayon ako sa doctor bisan naa pay hubag gamay.(My right arm was struck on the railings and it swelled and I had a high fever. It only started to subside when I was taking antibiotic and pain reliever for five days. The following day the doctor has operated on my fractured bone despite a little trace of swell.)
He said that x-ray results showed that he had a fractured bone below the elbow. He said that five days after his admission he was operated on by Dr. Jaime Carbonillla, an Orthopedic Surgeon who was the on-duty physician when hey arrived at the Emergency Room. A stainless steel was attached to his fractured bone, he said, as support base and to strengthen it until such time that it will be healed completely before the stainless support shall be taken out several years from now.
“Kung pareho pa sa una nga walay mga railings”, he said in Cebuano, “modiritso lang gyud ko pagkahagbong sa ubos.Ambot lang kaha kung unsay akong hitsura inig motugdang na ako sa yuta! Hunahunaa lang pipila ka gatos ka tiil ang guihabugon? Ug ang akong kauban nga silingan maunsa pod kaha?”
(If the railings were not constructed until now, I’ll just fall straight down below. I do not know what would be my appearance as I would hit the ground. Just imagine the hundreds of feet above sea level. How about my companion, a neighbor what would be his condition?)
Confirmly for many years the so-called “saddle “ road in that part of Panaon Island in going to Pintuyan and San Ricardo is rough and has no railings that could serve as defense to a vehicular fall in case of accidental ,mismanuever. The construction of railings were only carried out when a contractor ItalThai consigned for the concreting of the roads in Panaon has reached that part of Pintuyan,two years ago, it was learned.
The victim further confided that he and his neighbor and some friends have participated in several disco dances during the previous years anywhere in the area of Panaon Island’s four municipalities of Liloan, San Francisco, Pintuyan and San Ricardo.
He intimated that he and whoever would be his companions, he’s always be driving his motorcycle with some backriders in going to and in attending disco dances. It was only several days ago for the first time, he said, that he met an accident and was severely injured.
His neighbor-companion has no bone fracture. But he sustained a holed wound below his left knee, he said.. He was not hospitalized. A doctor on-duty at Pintuyan hospital treated his wound, Castaños said. As of this writing the victim has continued taking his medications. He said that he and his mother, his watcher at the hospital, are still waiting from Dr. Carbonilla’s instruction while in confinement.(Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.)