Jeepney driver pulls over safely before succumbing to heart attack

With the lives of his passengers on the line, a jeepney driver on Wednesday pushed through the pain and safely pulled over on the side of a busy road before succumbing to a heart attack.

According to Saleema Refran’s report on “24 Oras,” the passengers in Pepe Rollon's jeepney were surprised when he suddenly pulled over to the side of the road and stopped in front of the Tagaytay Hall of Justice.

The worried passengers tried to help him, with one cradling his head to keep him upright while another fanned him.

A fellow jeepney driver stopped to help carry him into a barangay patrol car, which brought him to a hospital.

Rollon, however, was declared dead upon arrival.

“Very thankful, very grateful kami kay tatay, halos lahit kami ng mga passengers po niya kasi mas pinili po niya na i-save kami lahat na maging maayos ‘yung pagtabi niya sa amin,” Anne Solomon, the passenger holding his head, said.

[We’re very thankful, very grateful to him because he chose to save all of us by pulling over safely.]

The 55-year-old had been driving for over 20 years. He has been suffering from heart disease for a time.

“Natutuwa ako kasi kahit papaano nailigtas niya ‘yung mga pasahero niya kasi buhay din yun. Kasi lagi ko paalala sa kanya, pag ikaw ay sinamaan ng lasa, itabi agad ang sasakyan kasi maraming buhay ang mapapahamak,” Marlene, his wife, said.

[I’m glad that somehow he was able to save his passengers. I always told him, if you feel something, you should immediately pull over because many lives will be in danger.]

Aside from the third-party insurance which is a requirement for registration at the Land Transportation Office, the operator also has passenger accident insurance for the franchise of the jeepney.

The Philippine Insurance Commission (PIC), however, said this may not apply in Rollon’s case.

“In this situation, baka po hindi itong TPI policy or yung CTPL policy natin ang makakapag-respond, if ever man, doon sa claim noong family kasi hindi po covered ‘yung situation na kung saan ito nga pong nangyari ay naitabi po ng ating jeepney driver sa gilid ng road so wala pong accident na nangyari,” PIC media relations officer Alwyn Franz Villaruel said.

[The TPI policy or the CTPL policy may not be able to respond to the claim of the family in this situation, where he was able to park the car and no accident occurred.]

Rollon has four children. The eldest is in senior high school while his youngest is 9 years old. — Joahna Lei Casilao/BM, GMA News