CEBU CITY – Authorities here have expressed alarm over the increasing cases of road accidents.

The Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) reported that on Tuesday alone, 20 road crashes were recorded, including an incident on the two-lane flyover in Barangay Luz where an engineering student was hit and killed by an ambulance.

“We consider the situation alarming,” Raquel Arce, chief of CCTO, told reporters on Wednesday, April 15.

In the Barangay Luz incident, Braille Nichole Kwek died after the motorcycle she was riding on was hit by an ambulance.

Kwek suffered severe injuries after the ambulance ran over her after she was thrown off the motorcycle driven by Juan Antonio Ladioray.

Ladioray and Kwek were mechanical engineering students at the University of San Carlos (USC) here.

Police said the ambulance, owned by the Barangay Apas Response Team and driven by 23-year-old Kevin Ryan Gesta, counter-flowed before it collided with the motorcycle.

Arce reminded emergency vehicle drivers to avoid counterflowing even during emergencies to avoid the risk of accidents.

If counterflowing cannot be avoided, drivers of emergency vehicles must exercise extreme caution, Arce said.

Of the total road crashes last Tuesday, the CCTO said eight involved motorcycles.

“It’s due to the attitude of the drivers. Even if you send them to regular trainings, seminars, if they don’t have the right attitude, incidents like these will happen,” said Arce.

To help avoid similar accidents from happening again, the Bureau of Fire Protection-Central Visayas issued an advisory reminding its personnel to “refrain from counterflowing unless absolutely necessary.”

Cebu Road Heroes, a road safety advocacy group, called for a thorough investigation of the incident.

The group said emergency vehicles must adhere to safety protocols and all drivers must remain hyper-vigilant for pedestrians.

“As an advocacy group, we will not rest. We call upon all Cebuanos – drivers, pedestrians, and public officials – to treat road discipline as a life-or-death responsibility, not just a rule,” the group said.

The family of Kwek is determined to file charges against the ambulance driver.

The victim’s grandfather, Richard, said that while nobody wanted an accident to happen, what the driver did was reckless. “What he did was reckless. He knows that it was his fault,” the grandfather said.

Police said Gesta, 23, is facing charges for reckless imprudence resulting in homicide and physical injuries.

Sympathies poured in after the tragic incident.

Kwek was described as a student-leader, beauty enthusiast, math achiever, writer, and friend.

As a secondary student at Camotes National High School, Kwek excelled in science and mathematics competitions and represented the school in district-level contests.

She was active in school events and was crowned first runner-up, Miss Congeniality, and Miss Photogenic during the school’s beauty contests.

USC paid tribute to the 19-year-old Kwek.

“Our hearts are heavy today as we mourn a profound loss within our family. The vibrant light of one of our own…was dimmed far too soon,” the school said.