By Nelson Andrade and Aaron Recuenco
At least nine persons were killed and more than five others were injured in a three-vehicle collision in Barangay Looc, Cardona, Rizal, Tuesday morning.
Initial reports reaching the office of Rizal Provincial Risk Reduction and Management Office Director Loel Malonzo and the Cardona Municipal Risk Reduction and Management Office identified seven of the nine fatalities. The identities, however, were not disclosed to media.
Rescuers retrieve the body of the driver of a dump truck which was involved in a collision with a passenger jeepney and a trailer truck in Looc, Cardona, Rizal, December 17, 2019. (Mark Balmores / MANILA BULLETIN)
But Lt. Col. Chitadel Gaoiran, spokesperson of the Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) regional police, citing reports, identified five of the fatalities as John Lester Lambrinto, Jan Brian Madaya, 60-year-old Maximo Julian, Elizabeth Rios, and Pablo Ramos.
Malonzo said both the fatalities and the injured victims were taken to the Rizal Provincial Hospital System in Morong, Binangonan and Amang Rodriguez Hospital.
The mishap happened at around 5 a.m. on LLDA National Road in Barangay Looc involving a passenger jeepney, a 22-wheel trailer truck, and a dump truck.
The reports stated that the 22-wheel trailer truck apparently lost its brakes as it was travelling the downhill portion of the road on its way to the direction of Binangonan town proper.
With the driver no longer in control, the trailer truck slammed into the passing passenger jeepney, which was coming from Cardona town proper and occupied by students and workers.
Another report said the dump truck, reportedly with malfunctioned brake, hit the jeepney as it was trying to avoid the wayward trailer truck. This resulted in further damage to the passenger jeepney.
Residents in the area of the collision told rescuers that they heard a loud sound before they saw the dump truck already on its side in the ravine.
Among the fatalities was the driver of the dump truck whose body was found in the ravine, along with the truck helper who luckily survived.
Netizens who are residents of the place of the accident said some of the fatalities and injured are their neighbors. The netizens in their post claim that among the victims were minors.
Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police (PNP) reported six more victims of road accidents that took place in Zamboanga Sibugay, Misamis Oriental, Cavite, and Quezon.
In Zamboanga Sibugay, Police Corporal Jourecel Jake Revilla Celestial and Patrolman Alexander Toribio Laquinon died when the vehicle they were riding in crashed alongside the road in Barangay Guilawa in Malangas town.
The cops were on board a vehicle with four other policemen when the driver lost control of the steering wheel while negotiating a sharp curve at around 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
Laquinon and Celestial died on the spot while the four other policemen were seriously injured.
In Cavite, a truck loaded with sand suffered mechanical error and eventually rammed several vehicles in the town proper of Mendez town at around 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday.
As a result, a certain Roger Santos died while 20 others were injured, according to Gaoiran.
In Lucena City, 76-year-old Pedrito Ranilo died after the motorcycle he was driving was hit by a passenger bus in Barangay Kanmurang Mayao at around 7 a.m. on Monday.
And in Misamis Oriental, a motorcycle rider and his backrider died when they figured in a collision with another motorcycle in Barangay Katipunan in Villanueva town at around 10 p.m. on Wednesday.
The motorcycle driven by Jim Asentista was overtaking a truck when it hit another motorcycle travelling at the opposite side of the road.
As a result, the two motorcycles crashed in the middle of the road but Asentista and his backrider, Lowella Loreto, were hit by the truck. Both died in the hospital. (With initial report from MB Online)