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Consuls’ family hurt in NLEX bus accident
(Updated 3:57 p.m.) Rene and Fortune Ledesma, honorary consuls of Bulgaria and Monaco, along with several family members and staff, were injured after a passenger bus rammed their van along the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) near Apalit, Pampanga, before noon Sunday.
In a statement released Wednesday, the victims' son, businessman and TV personality RJ Ledesma, said his parents, along with his brother, sister-in-law, two-year-old niece, the driver, and the nanny, were on their way back to Manila from a family vacation in Baguio when the incident happened.
He said the family's Hyundai Starex van was slowing down to stop as vehicles in front of them were stationary when a tailgating First North Luzon Transit (FNLT) bus failed to stop on time and rammed into them.
The crash caused the van to smash into the rear bumper of a bus in front of it, he added.
"The force of the impact caused the smashed engine of the Starex to burst into smoke and flames while the back of our Starex was crumpled by the First North Luzon Transit Bus," Ledesma said.
"The front of the Starex was burning and was eventually extinguished by a responding NLEX patrol," he added.
Ledesma said while there were no fatalities from the incident, his mother Fortuna, 67, was severely injured after her head hit the back of the driver's seat due to the force of the impact.
She was unconscious as her head "split wide open" from the incident, her son said.
Ledesma said his mother was then picked up by an ambulance sent by NLEX, and was transported to a Manila-based hospital to undergo surgery.
"She is currently recovering in the hospital as of this writing," he said. "The other passengers in the car also suffered concussions, cuts and bruises due to the impact as the car was sandwiched between both buses."
"If you saw the remains of the car, you would not believe that all the passengers in the vehicle survived the ordeal," he added.
'Snubbed by FNLT'
Ledesma, meanwhile, lamented over FNLT's "lack of concern" for the victims.
"There was NO ONE from First North Luzon Transit, Inc. who assisted us at the height of the accident," he said. "Once my sister and myself found out about the incident, we tried frantically to get in touch with First North Luzon Transit with their landline that appeared online. But the number just kept on ringing. "
He said it was only when his brother, who was still being treated at the hospital, was able to reach a friend of one of the family members who worked for Victory Liner bus company, of which the FNLT is a subsidiary, when they were able to get ahold of a representative of the bus company.
"Nevertheless, we still had to wait the following day to speak to him personally at the Apalit Municipal Police Station," he said. "To emphasize, my family was not offered any kind of assistance, nor any words of comfort on the day of the accident, notwithstanding First North Luzon Transit, Inc.’s knowledge of the incident."
GMA News Online tried to contact FNLT for a comment, but officials were unavailable for interview as of posting time.
'Franchise should be suspended'
Meanwhile, Ledesma said they are now calling for the suspension of the FNLT franchise.
""First North Luzon Transit, Inc. should be held accountable for their actions, not only for my family’s sake but for all other families who share the same plight as ours," he said.
He also noted several incidents involving the bus company.
He cited an incident that occurred on May 6, 2014, when a pedestrian was killed when bumped by an FNLT bus along Roman Highway near Balanga, Bataan.
He also said that on June 3, 2014, an FNLT bus driver went amok near the Caloocan City Hall, and had an altercation with police.
"As per the news article, the police were still investigating if the driver was under the influence of illegal drugs," Ledesma said.
"For the sake of my family and for public safety, I would like to call for immediate action, including suspension of First North Luzon Bus lines pending the investigation of the incident, retraining their drivers, checking on the quality of their buses, their processes/services in handling the victims of their accidents and the structure of their settlement claims," he added.
For his part, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) chairman Winston Ginez, in an interview on radio dzBB, said the hearing on the complaint filed by the Ledesma family will be next week.
"Nakita namin doon sa paunang interview nagkaroon ng kawalan ng aksyon [ng First North Luzon Transit] after the accident," he said, noting that public utility operators are obliged to immediately respond to incidents involving their PUVs. —KBK, GMA News
In a statement released Wednesday, the victims' son, businessman and TV personality RJ Ledesma, said his parents, along with his brother, sister-in-law, two-year-old niece, the driver, and the nanny, were on their way back to Manila from a family vacation in Baguio when the incident happened.
The crash caused the Hyundai Starex van to smash into the rear bumper of a bus in front of it. The force of the impact caused the smashed engine of the van to burst into smoke and flames. Ledesma family
The crash caused the van to smash into the rear bumper of a bus in front of it, he added.
"The force of the impact caused the smashed engine of the Starex to burst into smoke and flames while the back of our Starex was crumpled by the First North Luzon Transit Bus," Ledesma said.
"The front of the Starex was burning and was eventually extinguished by a responding NLEX patrol," he added.
Ledesma said while there were no fatalities from the incident, his mother Fortuna, 67, was severely injured after her head hit the back of the driver's seat due to the force of the impact.
She was unconscious as her head "split wide open" from the incident, her son said.
Ledesma said his mother was then picked up by an ambulance sent by NLEX, and was transported to a Manila-based hospital to undergo surgery.
"She is currently recovering in the hospital as of this writing," he said. "The other passengers in the car also suffered concussions, cuts and bruises due to the impact as the car was sandwiched between both buses."
"If you saw the remains of the car, you would not believe that all the passengers in the vehicle survived the ordeal," he added.
'Snubbed by FNLT'
Ledesma, meanwhile, lamented over FNLT's "lack of concern" for the victims.
"There was NO ONE from First North Luzon Transit, Inc. who assisted us at the height of the accident," he said. "Once my sister and myself found out about the incident, we tried frantically to get in touch with First North Luzon Transit with their landline that appeared online. But the number just kept on ringing. "
He said it was only when his brother, who was still being treated at the hospital, was able to reach a friend of one of the family members who worked for Victory Liner bus company, of which the FNLT is a subsidiary, when they were able to get ahold of a representative of the bus company.
"Nevertheless, we still had to wait the following day to speak to him personally at the Apalit Municipal Police Station," he said. "To emphasize, my family was not offered any kind of assistance, nor any words of comfort on the day of the accident, notwithstanding First North Luzon Transit, Inc.’s knowledge of the incident."
GMA News Online tried to contact FNLT for a comment, but officials were unavailable for interview as of posting time.
'Franchise should be suspended'
Meanwhile, Ledesma said they are now calling for the suspension of the FNLT franchise.
""First North Luzon Transit, Inc. should be held accountable for their actions, not only for my family’s sake but for all other families who share the same plight as ours," he said.
He also noted several incidents involving the bus company.
He cited an incident that occurred on May 6, 2014, when a pedestrian was killed when bumped by an FNLT bus along Roman Highway near Balanga, Bataan.
He also said that on June 3, 2014, an FNLT bus driver went amok near the Caloocan City Hall, and had an altercation with police.
"As per the news article, the police were still investigating if the driver was under the influence of illegal drugs," Ledesma said.
"For the sake of my family and for public safety, I would like to call for immediate action, including suspension of First North Luzon Bus lines pending the investigation of the incident, retraining their drivers, checking on the quality of their buses, their processes/services in handling the victims of their accidents and the structure of their settlement claims," he added.
For his part, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) chairman Winston Ginez, in an interview on radio dzBB, said the hearing on the complaint filed by the Ledesma family will be next week.
"Nakita namin doon sa paunang interview nagkaroon ng kawalan ng aksyon [ng First North Luzon Transit] after the accident," he said, noting that public utility operators are obliged to immediately respond to incidents involving their PUVs. —KBK, GMA News
