A PALL of gloom descended upon residents of barangay Tandoc in San Carlos City when eight of their barangaymates went home in coffins after a road accident along the national highway in barangay Urayong, Bauang, La Union last Tuesday.

Grieving most for the loss of five of its members was the Prado family led by Benedicto, alias “Jimmy”, 45, who lost his wife and four children in the tragedy with two more, plus a nephew, still in serious condition at the Ilocos Training and Regional Medical Center in San Fernando, La Union.

Dead in that accident were Prado’s wife Nida, also 45; and their sons Isagani, 25; Wilbert, 23; Alvin, 13; and Michael, 8. Still in the hospital are their sons Joey, 16; and Ronnie, 14.

Seven other Prado children were saved when they did not go with their mother on that trip. They are Janice, 21; Tonton, 19; Kris, 12; Abegail, 11; Olivia, 7; Ella, 5; and Angelo, 4.

The other fatalities, also from barangay Tandoc were their relatives Lester Prado, 13; Lito Espiritu, 46; and Dexter Lopez, 18; and Darlo Bandong, 21, driver of the Isuzu elf truck that all the victims rode on, from barangay Bolingit, San Carlos City.

The Isuzu elf truck was rammed by a wayward 22-wheel trailer truck bound for the north that went out of control after it blew its two left front tires before crashing into a residential house near the roadside.

The accident occurred when the family of Nida was already proceeding home to San Carlos City from Naguilian, La Union where they delivered flower pots made of clay to different stores in that town’s public market which earlier ordered for these.

Nida’s children and their neighbors went with them so they can earn a few pesos from Nida by hand-carrying the flower pots from the truck to every store.

With 13 children, many of them still in grade schools, Nida appeared to be the only breadwinner in the family. When she leaves to sell flower pots, her husband looks after their children and pigs.

The group left for La Union at 3 a.m. of Jan. 3 and was expected to be home by 4 p.m. that day. The fatal accident occurred at 12:15 p.m.

Virgilio Prado, brother of Benedicto, and father of Lester Prado, one of the victims, said they learned about the accident only at 7 p.m. when a cousin of the driver of the Isuzu elf truck texted thru his cellphone about what happened.

He said the cases against the driver of the trailer truck, including the owner, are now being readied by the Bauang police for filing in court.