Cow causes vehicular collision that injures 19 in Polomolok

The driver of this black Toyota HiLux tried to avoid hitting a cow crossing the road. He still hit the cow and then collided head on with an Isuzu Elf truck. (Photo by DANZ PELAEZ JR.)

POLOMOLOK, South Cotabato – Nineteen persons were injured on Christmas Day in a vehicular crash involving an Isuzu Elf cargo truck loaded with commuters and a Toyota HiLux pick-up along the national highway here.

Supt. Samuel Cadungon, Polomolok town police chief, said a cow caused the accident, which took place at past 6 p.m. amid a light rain in Barangay Pagalungan here.

A cow was crossing the highway and the driver of the black pick-up tried to avoid it.

However, the pick-up hit the cow, killing it, and then collided head on with the Elf truck, with plate number RMF-961.

The Elf came from Tupi and was bound for General Santos City while the HiLux was going to Koronadal City.

Cadungon said Elf was loaded with family members who all came from a reunion in Tupi.

The victims, many of them children, were rushed to various hospitals here and in General Santos City. Their identities were not made available to media.

It was the second highway mishap in two days here.

On Dec. 23, five persons were killed and 19 others injured when a Mitsubishi L-300 van owned by Notre Dame of Siena College and a passenger van collided in Barangay Crossing Palkan. /atm

The driver of a black HiLux pick-up tried to avoid this cow. But he failed – and also collided head on with an Isuzu Elf truck. (Photo by DANZ PELAEZ JR.)