Two accidents, one nation's wake-up call

Two tragedies, three days apart — and happening in places that should have been safe.

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On May 1, a devastating crash occurred at the SCTEX Tarlac toll plaza. A passenger bus lost control and slammed into four vehicles. Ten people died, 37 were injured. Among the victims were children in a van on their way to a church camping activity—an innocent trip that ended in tragedy. In another car, a two-year-old child survived, securely strapped into a child safety seat. But his parents, both killed in the collision, never made it to their planned family vacation in Baguio.

In an interview conducted by Jania Tecson, a trainee assigned to my section, a first responder from the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) said the child sat in the child car seat with no reaction to the tragedy. In front of the child were his parents, both dead. The mother was a member of the Philippine Coast Guard.

Back to our road safety crash story, just three days later, on May 4, the horror repeated itself—this time at the entrance of NAIA Terminal 1. An SUV, parked in front of the termi-

nal, suddenly accelerated and plowed into a crowd of passengers and well-wishers gathered at the gates. The presence of bollards meant to protect the pedestrian zone, did not stop the vehicle from crashing into the crowd, killing a four-year-old child and a 29-year-old man.