Commonwealth Avenune. Cabbie as the perpetrator and cabbie as the victim...

[OTEP]

April 30, 2012. Around Midnight.

On the Q.C. Circle-bound side of Commonwealth.
I was driving home along Commonwealth Avenue. When I arrived at the stoplight under the Commonwealth flyover, there was a swarm of people around a motorcycle rider laying on the ground. I alighted from my vehicle and ran to the scene. Turns out it was a rider crossing under the flyover that was hit by a taxi who beat the red light. A kind stranger managed to chase the fleeing taxi and call the attention of the local police. I radioed for an ambulance and just my luck, an EMT (emergency medical technician) on his way home heard my transmission and pulled over to assist. Luckily he had his EMT gear with him as I didn't have mine at the time (I was driving my brother's car). We managed to stabilize the patient and assess the wounds. Shortly after the UNTV News and Rescue team arrived. The driver sustained a suspected fracture of the left ankle as well as an open wound in the said area. He was transported to the East Avenue Medical Center.







Meanwhile, on the Fairview-bound side
I thought it was enough adventure for the day (earlier I was on duty at a motorbike race in Clark where we had some spills also) but someone shouted that there was an accident on the opposite lane of Commonwealth. It was around 500 meters away. The ambulances counterflowed Commonwealth to reach the victims. As the vehicle I was driving did not have emergency equipment, I had to drive a fair bit to the u-turn slot to get to the scene. When we arrived, a cabbie lay on the ground in a pool of blood a few meters in front of his cab. He had sustained a stab wound to the chest in an apparent robbery. The UNTV rescue team prepped him for transport and the police arrived shortly. We would later learn that the cabbie was DOA at East Avenue Medical Center. He had lost his life for his meager earnings. In his license jacket was the photo of a young girl (around 5 years old?) that was said to be his daughter.

Let us all be careful when we ply the roads especially at night.

P.S. Pardon my crooked prose, I'm dead tired.

[OTEP]

Pics on the opposite side of Commonwealth:

[BoyBawang]

Buti lang sir you were at the right place at the right time...Bilis ng UNTV crew ..dinaig pa MMDA rescue teams..di kaya scripted yan hehehe!

Kudos to you sir Otep!

Ingatz lang sa daan palagi...RIP to the cab driver..dapat talaga ibalik na death penalty sa mga walang kaluluwang masasamang loob na yan!

[chua_riwap]

Doc Otep.....I salute you sir!

[Verbl Kint]

There are cops that are supposed to be always stationed by that flyover. I wonder where they were?

[erj22]

There are cops that are supposed to be always stationed by that flyover. I wonder where they were?

sleeping...

[vinj]

Sad news on the killed cabbie. I also see motorbikes spill on the bottom of the flyover time and again and it's usually caused by jeeps and other PUVs who are cutting across even when the ride is red, coupled with motorbikes trying to snake their way forward.

Commonweath is supposed to be well policed but that's not the case always when i drive on that road at night. It's dark and still awash with speeding buses and motorcycles.

[zecand]

was hit and ran by a taxi at commonwealth-luzon underpass 2 months ago. was going left to katipunan from commonwealth for the light turned green and reached the 3/4 of the street then suddenly this taxi appeared out of no where.people did help me out and went to the taxi's location because he stop and maybe he was just checking himself if he's ok but when the people was about to go to him he ran flew his cab like hell. nobody was able to get the plate because it was 4 in the morning and about 75feet away. As per people who saw it, the taxi not just beat the red light but run into the crossing though it is in red light and slammed me at the right side.

[renzo_d10]

RIP dun kay manong cabbie.

Kudos, as always doc.

[chrismarte]

Kudos to doc Otep

may ibang tao talaga na pumapatay para lang mabuhay...

[vinj]

Kudos to doc Otep

may ibang tao talaga na pumapatay para lang mabuhay...

Which brings us back to the death penalty debates.

[beni23]

Which brings us back to the death penalty debates.

IMO, death penalty isnt the answer. Kulang lang talaga sa power ang mga police natin.

Ganito yan ha, nagkakaroon sila ng opportunity na gawin ito kasi alam nilang wala manghuhuli sakanila at that time. Eh kung may mga nakaabang na mga police lagi, magkakaroon pa kaya sila ng lakas ng loob knowing na wala sila nung opportunity na gawin un.

Ang kailangan lang natin sa mga yan ay mga deterrent controls.

[jedi]

Diyan ako galit na galit manghoholdup lang ng barya kailangan pang pumatay. My dad was a taxi driver. He died 2 months before i was born. Dahil yan sa mga magnanakaw na pati buhay kukunin para sa konting pera.

Rip to the cab driver.

[OTEP]

I won't go into the death penalty debate but here is another example of the ordinary Filipinos' willingness to help. When I arrived, there were some folks who were fanning (pinapaypayan) the injured rider and the other rider who chased the fleeing taxi. A stranger (forgot to get the license plate) also used his own Mitsubishi Adventure to shield the driver from oncoming traffic. He also had a hand held spotlight on board to illuminate the scene. They waited until the rider was on board the ambulance before moving his vehicle.

Of course meron pa ding mga usisero na pang gulo lang...di na din siguro mawawala yun.

[fjoseph]

Sa Tandang Sora Crossing po ito sir diba? Madalas ko ma-encounter ganyan situation na kahit red light, Go parin itong mga galing fairview specifically mga PUV, around 12AM, siguro bihira narin kasi nag left turn diyan ng ganun oras. But, they should stop whether may mag left turn or wala. Or use the flyover.

[OTEP]

Yes doon po. Btw, dumb question lang. Pwede ba dumaan sa flyover ang mga motorsiklo now that there is that MMDA lane segregation thing?

[zecand]

Yes doon po. Btw, dumb question lang. Pwede ba dumaan sa flyover ang mga motorsiklo now that there is that MMDA lane segregation thing?

di po pwede sir. sa motorcycle lane lang po talaga. huhulihin po kayo.

[dondonposadas]

Ok yung untv tag line... Tulong muna bago balita.. Kaya habang nagre-rescue sila ang channel 2,5 at 7 nagbabalita.

[OTEP]

di po pwede sir. sa motorcycle lane lang po talaga. huhulihin po kayo.

Ah...ito pala yun sinasabi ng mga tao. Kasi didiretso naman pa circle yung motor. Kung pinayagan daw siya mag flyover, di siya mabubundol ng taxi...

[zecand]

Ah...ito pala yun sinasabi ng mga tao. Kasi didiretso naman pa circle yung motor. Kung pinayagan daw siya mag flyover, di siya mabubundol ng taxi...

tama sir. isa ako sa mga nagprotesta na bakit nilagay sa 4th lane ang motor. which is malapit sa mga bus or public vehicles. delikado. may motor din kase ako. kung ibinigay ang inner lane mas safe sa mga nag momotor since sila lang ang andun at parang sanga lang sila na aalis sa lane (pakanan) pag kailangan na.