Bb. Pilipinas titlist, 2 others killed in car crash — report

(Updated 10:06 pm) A Binibining Pilipinas beauty contest titleholder and two of her companions were killed after their car crashed into a passenger bus in Camarines Sur on Saturday morning, a radio report said. Bb. Pilipinas-International 2009 Melody Gersbach, her driver Santos Ramos and her manager Alvin Orense died on the spot after the Innova car they were riding collided head-on with a Guevarra bus at Barangay Pawili in Bula town at past 11 a.m. Saturday, Camarines Sur provincial police director Col. Jonathan Ablang said in a phone interview.
Ablang added that a fourth person in the car, identified as designer Ronald Lita, survived the accident and is currently undergoing treatment at the Bula Medical Center. Six other passengers of the bus were hurt in the road mishap, according to provincial police chief. Based on initial investigation, Gersbach’s car came from Legazpi City in Albay and was heading to Naga City in Camarines Sur for a local beauty pageant when it figured in the accident. The passenger bus reportedly overtook a motorcycle and failed to return to the right lane, causing it to collide head-on with the beauty queen’s vehicle. Ablang said that the bus driver, identified as Wilson Fotillas, is already in police custody after initially fleeing. Fotillas will be charged with reckless imprudence resulting in multiple homicide and multiple injuries, he added. The remains of the fatalities are currently at a funeral parlor in Barangay Anayan in Pili town. They are set to be fetched by Gersbach’s family and friends later in the evening. Gersbach competed in the Miss International pageant in China last November, where she secured a spot in the semi-finals.—Andreo C. Calonzo/JV, GMANews.TV