DIGOS CITY — Three persons were hurt in a four-way vehicle collision on Thursday morning involving the pickup truck of Davao del Sur Vice Governor Aileen Almendras and three big bikes at the intersection of the Digos-Dawis diversion road.
Police Captain Deozar Almasa, Digos City police director, said Almendras just came from a campaign sortie when her Nissan Navarra pickup truck, driven by Robert Sawan Flores, 29, rammed into a high-end big bike which, in turn, also hit two other upscale motorcycles.
Almasa said the pickup truck first hit a BMW R1200 GS Advent Motorcycle, driven by Sammy Olatunde Patio Ayodele, 38, a resident of Cebuana Gym, Belesario Subdivision, Las Piñas City.
The second was a BMW R1200 GS Advent Motorcycle driven by Richard Villareal Cuaton, 35, a resident of Waling-Waling Street, Andrada Heights del Carmen, Iligan City.
The third motorcycle was a Ducati Multistrada registered under the name of Cherland Paul Borja of Upper Carmen, Cagayan de Oro City and driven by Philip Caesar Bagares Lee, 37, a resident of Katipunan Hinaplanon, Iligan City.
Traffic police investigation revealed that all four vehicles were traveling in the same direction when the three big bikes stopped before reaching the intersection. The vice governor’s pickup truck then bumped into the Ducati Multistrada. The impact caused Lee to lose control of his big bike and hit the two motorcycles in front.
Almasa said the three riders were immediately brought to the Davao del Sur Provincial Hospital by the responding ambulance of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC) for immediate medical attention.
The three men sustained bruises and minor injuries and were now out of danger but remained in the hospital for observation, said Almasa.
Almendras was unharmed, he added. Her driver, however, was held by the police. All four vehicles were also placed under police custody. /ee