Woman dies and 4 hurt as tricycle collided with truck in Quezon
GUMACA, Quezon- A 65-year-old woman who was suffering from a stroke died, and four others were injured on board a tricycle that lost control and collided with a truck loaded with relief goods while traveling on Maharlika Highway in Barangay Villa Bota, here, Sunday morning.
Police identified the fatality as Maribela Dastas, and the injured were Ronalyn Gimenez, 38; Gennylyn Dimaano, 41; Jayron Gimenez, 18; and Ken Mergenio, 30, the tricycle driver, who is in critical condition, all residents of Brgy. Inaclagan, this town.
The investigation said that at about 10:12 a.m., the truck, which was loaded with 1,700 boxes of DSWD relief goods and driven by Reynaldo Malupa, 49, was traveling in the northbound lane toward Bicol.
Upon reaching a curved portion of the highway, the tricycle driven by Ken Mergenio, 30, was travelling in the opposite lane.
The tricycle driver allegedly lost control of the steering wheel, causing it to encroach into the lane of the truck and collide.
The victims were taken by Kalasag-MDRRMO-Gumaca and the Bureau of Fire Protection to Gumaca District Hospital, where Dastas was declared dead while undergoing treatment.
Further investigation revealed that the driver of the tricycle was allegedly travelling in haste because Dastas, who was on board, was reportedly suffering from a stroke and needed to be immediately taken to the hospital for emergency medical treatment.
Police investigated the incident while the complaint of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide, multiple physical injuries, and property damage was being processed, and the truck was in the temporary custody of the Gumaca police station.