‘Distracted driver cost us P300,000 in medical bills’ – road crash survivor

MANILA, Philippines – It’s not what you drive, but how you drive.

Eufronio Torrado appealed to motorists to be more cautious behind the wheel after recalling how he survived a road crash, which he narrated during Rappler’s #SaferRoadsPH Forum last Wednesday, June 7, in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan.

At first admitting that he was reluctant to recall his harrowing experience, Torrado retold the fateful trip that changed his life last January 27 along a national highway in Alcala, Cagayan.

Torrado was in the front seat of a van, traveling home after attending a work-related seminar in Central Luzon. Around 7 kilometers away from their house, he decided to remove his seatbelt since he felt confident about the road conditions and the driver of the van they were riding.

That was his first mistake.

Throughout their ride, Torrado noticed that their driver was a bit distracted.

“Habang nagda-drive siya, nagbabasa siya ng text, tapos nilalagay niya sa dashboard. ‘Pag may tumatawag, ine-entertain niya ‘yung tawag,” he said. (While he was driving, he was reading text messages, then putting the phone on the dashboard. Whenever the phone rang, he would pick up the call.)

As they approached a bridge surrounded by fields of corn, the distracted driver lost control and the van hit a carabao-drawn carriage just before hitting an acacia tree.

Torrado flew out of the vehicle from the impact of the crash, and his wife who was riding with him eventually found him lying on the ground, barely breathing with his face bloody and broken.

The freak road crash left him with a blind eye and a fractured face. His wife, Olivia, sustained injuries on her head, requiring 9 stitches.

Torrado had to get titanium implants in his face to realign it again. After almost 3 weeks in different hospitals, the road crash left them with over P300,000 in medical bills along with some scars.

The crash the Torrados experienced is just one among hundreds of road crashes occurring every year in one of the most crash-prone regions in the country.

In 2016 alone, Cagayan province recorded a total number of 1,471 road crashes, with 682 deaths. Reckless driving was the number one cause with 790 cases. (READ: Deadly highways: What makes Cagayan Valley roads crash-prone?)

As he wrapped up his story, Torrado left the crowd at the forum with this parting message: “‘Pag magda-drive ‘wag maglasing o uminom man, kasi doon ang disgrasya. [‘Pag] gagamit ng cellphone – nakikiusap ako, ‘wag natin gawin ‘yun.”

(If you’re going to drive, don’t get drunk or drink alcohol, because that’s how crashes start. Don’t use your cellphones – I appeal to you, do not do that.)

The Philippines’ Anti-Distracted Driving Act bans drivers from using cellphones and other gadgets while behind the wheel. The implementation of that law, however, was put on hold last May 23 – just less than a week after it took effect – following complaints from lawmakers and drivers about “confusing” rules. The Department of Transportation is currently reviewing and revising the implementing rules and regulations. – Marian Plaza / Rappler.com

Marian Plaza is a Rappler intern.