Three injured at footbridge
URDANETA CITY—Two separate incidents at the city’s footbridge fronting the public market along the MacArthur Highway resulted in minor injuries to three persons last Wednesday.
In the first incident, a man who appeared to be mentally ill fell from the roof of the foot bridge as rescuers attempted to reach him after an almost 12-hour standoff convincing him to descend.
F/Insp. Jun Wanawam, chief fire marshal of the Urdaneta Fire Station, said the man who was identified only as “Pepito” climbed to the roof of the footbridge at 4:00am.
P/Supt. Jeff Fanged, chief of Urdaneta Police, said when “Pepito” was asked what his problem was, the latter replied he simply wanted to go Dagupan and refused to heed the policemen’s appeal to descend from the roof.
When Mayor Amadito Perez IV finally ordered the rescuers to pull him from the roof, Pepito fell from the roof as he tried to ward off his rescuers with a steel bar.
Fortunately, firemen managed to catch him with a huge net from below and Pepito merely suffered a cut on his lips.
Meanwhile, Fang said Pepito will be charged with public disturbance if doctors confirm that he is not mentally ill.
Then, even as Pepito kept the police at bay, a construction worker slipped on the footbridge, hitting a bystander in the process.
Fanged said that the construction worker identified as Exerberto Milo, 43 years old and a resident of Dilan Paurido was drunk. Ferlie Anne Cheng, 20 years old and a resident of Pinmaludpod was hit with steel bars as a result of Milo’s fall. Both victims were brought to the hospital for treatment of their bruises.
Meanwhile, Wanawam asked the city government to remove the steel bars carelessly left at the stairs leading to the footbridge. (Hilda Martin Austria/PNA)
Share your Comments or Reactions
Powered by Facebook Comments
