Bus driver in deadly Benguet accident faces slew of charges

The bus driver involved in last Thursday's deadly collision that killed at least seven people in Benguet province may face a slew of criminal charges for the collision. Police said Roger Albayalde faced charges of reckless imprudence resulting in damage to property, multiple physical injuries and multiple homicide, GMA 7 news program "Saksi" reported. Albayalde is still at the Baguio General Hospital where he is recovering from the injuries received in the collision. Investigators said their initial findings showed Albayalde overtook another vehicle at a blind curve and wandered into the lane of an oncoming truck. "Based sa investigation, may skid marks siya pero nagkaroon ng impact kasi mabilis. Ang lumalabas mabilis yang takbo ng bus," added Superintendent Peter Tagtag Jr., deputy director for operations of the Benguet police. The "Saksi" report said investigators are also analyzing the engines of the bus and truck to see if they had mechanical problems before the collision. Additionaly, police investigators will invite representatives of the travel agency that owned the bus to shed light on the incident. Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and Development said many of the students in the bus had undergone a stress debriefing. — DVM, GMA News