SIXTEEN persons, including two policemen, died while 23 others were injured in vehicular accidents in Rizal, Zamboanga Sibugay, Cavite, Misamis Oriental and Quezon yesterday and Monday.
Nine of the fatalities died in the Rizal mishap in Barangay Looc, Cardona town, according to the town’s police chief, Capt. Jhuner Mojares.
In a report to the Rizal Provincial Police Office, Mojares said the accident occurred around 5:55 a.m. yesterday when the driver of an Isuzu dump truck lost control of the vehicle and slammed a passenger jeep on the opposite lane.
Nine passengers died on the spot, six of them identified as college students John Lester
Lambrinto, Jan Brian Madaya and Jimbert Lambrinto; Maximo Julian, 60; Elizabeth Rios, and Pablo Ramos. Three others remained unidentified as of yesterday.
The drivers of the truck and the passenger jeep, identified as Ronito Caballes and Fernando Bandril, were injured.
Two policemen died and four others were injured when their pick-up rammed into trees in Barangay Guilawa in Malangas town in Zamboanga Sibugay around 6:30 p.m. Monday.
A report from the Zamboanga Sibugay provincial police office identified the fatalities as Corporal Jourecel Jake Celestial and Patrolman Alexander Laquinon, members of the 903rd Maneuver Company of the PNP Regional Mobile Forces Battalion 9.
Injured were Corporal Rommel Apiong, Patrolman Stephen Ray Alicando, Patrolman Logie Suarez, and Patrolman Arcel Matugas.
Reports said the cops’ Nissan Navara vehicle, driven by Apiong, overshot a curved portion of the road, slammed into mahogany trees, crashed at the opposite side of the road and hit a parked motorcycle.
In Cavite, two people died and 16 others were injured when a wayward truck rammed several vehicles in Mendez-Nunez town yesterday morning. Police said the incident occurred near a church on Jose P. Rizal St. at around 7:15 a.m.
The truck driven by Romeo Sevilla lost its brake and rammed several vehicles, including a passenger jeep. The collision led to the deaths of Rolando Ligsa and Rogelio Santos.
In Misamis Oriental, the driver and passenger of a motorcycle died and another motorcycle driver was injured in a collision involving three vehicles in Villanueva town on Monday night.
Police said one of the motorcycles, driven by Jim Asentista, tried to overtake a trailer truck in Barangay Katipunan around 10:15 p.m. The motorcycle hit another motorcycle on the opposite lane and was hit by the trailer truck, leading to the death of Asentista and his passenger, who remained unidentified yesterday.
The collision also caused injuries to the driver of the other motorcycle, Jaylord Valdehueza while the truck driver, Alvine Rey Baslot, is under police custody amd will face charges
In Quezon, 76-year-old Pedrito Ranillo died when his motorcycle was hit by a passenger bus inside the compound of the Lucena City government complex at around 7 a.m. Monday.
The motorcycle was making a turn when it was bumped by the Casagwa bus driven by Roberto Tres Reyes, who was later arrested. Ranillo sustained massive head injuries, leading to his instant death. — With Christian Oineza
