By Zaldy Comanda
TUBA, Benguet – Six persons, including four garbage collectors, died, while four others were injured in a multiple vehicular accident at 4 a.m. Monday, June 8, along Marcos Highway at Sitio Bontiway, Barangay Poblacion, Tuba, Benguet.
(Sugar Angel Daiwey via Zaldy Comanda / MANILA BULLETIN)
Benguet Provincial Police Office (PPO) Director Col. Elmer Ragay said a garbage truck of Baguio City, which was being driven by Mark Collantes, bumped into the rear of a dump truck while negotiating a descending portion of the highway. The dump truck was being driven by Merson Aoay Manalastas.
Due to the impact, the dump truck bumped the front portion of a trailer truck, which was going in the opposite direction heading towards Baguio City.
The garbage truck continued to surge forward until it ran into the concrete barrier of the road that sent it flipping to its side.
According to Ragay, Collantes and garbage collectors -- Belly Joe Lachica,29; Raymart dela Rama Lachica; John Rex Hilario; and Rustom Lachica Dela Rama – were killed in the accident, along with Jonathan Frigillana Vargas, driver of the trailer truck who was from Aringay La Union.
Injured and brought to the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center were the garbage truck’s other passengers Roneo Dela Raga Collantes, 21; Ernesto Lachica Collantes, 27; and Philip Lachica Dela Rosa, 28; and Manalastas, 42.