2 hitchhikers killed, 5 hurt in vehicular accident in Cebu

CEBU CITY—Two hitchhikers were killed while five others were wounded on Friday morning when an Isuzu elf truck they were riding lost its brakes and hit a center island in Toledo City, 56.5 km west of here.

The two men remained unidentified as they only hitched a ride on the truck which was heading to Toledo City to deliver tiles to a hardware store.

They hitched a ride at the SM Seaside at the South Road Properties,  police said.

Injured were the truck driver Eugene Amarillo and his passengers Ralph Hernandez, 30; John Michael Lada, 29, of Barangay Calunasan in Cebu City; Roy Brananola Jr., 28; and Lee Chin, both from Mandaue City.

Chin is the owner of Uni Home Hardware which was supplying the tiles to another hardware store in Toledo City.

PO3 Chris Gaco and PO3 Celso Maquidato of Toledo City police station said the truck lost its brakes while maneuvering on a downward slope along the national highway in Barangay Poog, about 15 km from the city proper.

Amarillo lost control of the vehicle which hit the road’s center island.

The two hitchhikers were thrown out of the vehicle because of the impact and died of severe head injuries.

The victims were brought to Carmen Copper Hospital./rga