DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 25 November) – Two road crashes that happened overnight claimed the lives of five people in the outskirts of Davao City.
The fatal incidents happened in Barangays Marilog and Ilag.
In Marilog, a barangay near the city’s boundary with Bukidnon Province, three individuals were confirmed dead after three trucks collided against each other in Sitio Pamuhatan around 7:30 a.m. Saturday.
The crash involved a freight truck, a trailer truck, and a dropside truck that sustained damages during the collision.
According to the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) report, the trailer truck driver Virgilio Pajo Jr., of Purok 1 Katipunan, Maragusan, Davao de Oro, and its passenger Jovelyn Pajo, of Purok Tandik, also in Maragusan, died on the spot.
The dropside truck driver Julius Onez, of Purok 17-A, New Agdao Village, Ma-a, Davao City, was also declared dead on the spot.
Based on the initial investigation, the surviving freight truck driver Oliver Jay Adtoon, said the dropside truck coming from Bukidnon lost control, hitting the front part of the trailer truck, which then collided with the freight truck before coming to a stop.
An unidentified truck helper suffered injuries and is now in a critical condition. He was taken to the Southern Philippines Medical Center by the responding personnel from Central 911.
In a radio report by local radio station DXDC, Police Station 12 Marilog deputy chief Captain Ruel Dionela will file a complaint of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide against the dropside truck’s operator.
Meanwhile, two motorcycles and a dump truck figured in a collision near Ilang Center at Km. 17, Barangay Ilang, Davao City, around 8:00 p.m. Friday.
The collision resulted in the death of Algen Lanaja, 44, of Barangay Panacan, and Hope Angelou Rangas, 22, of Barangay Bunawan, both in Davao City.
The DCPO report said Lanaja and Rangas were riding a Suzuki Raider 150 motorcycle driven by the former. Lanaja lost control and collided with another motorcycle carrying Eladio Abellar, 32, and Eden Joyce Frivaldo, 28.
Subsequently, Lanaja’s motorcycle veered into the inner lane and collided with a dump truck. Both Lanaja and Rangas were pronounced dead on the spot.
Abellar and Frivaldo meanwhile sustained minor injuries and were brought to a nearby hospital.
The dump truck driver, Marlo Antillon Pelobello, will be charged with reckless imprudence resulting in multiple homicide and damage to property by the Bunawan Police Station. (Ian Carl Espinosa/Mindanews)
