3 dead, 3 injured in Batangas road accidents

LUCENA CITY – Three persons died while three others were injured in separate road accidents on Saturday and Sunday in Batangas province, police reports said.

The Batangas provincial police reported that tricycle driver Efren Vargas, died after his vehicle was hit by a truck driven by Ramon Rocero around 3:30 a.m. Sunday in a section of the provincial road in Barangay (village) Balete in Batangas City.

Vargas suffered fatal injuries and died while being transported to Batangas Medical Center.

The police are conducting further investigation while Rocero remains under custody.

In Lipa City, police reported that Limuel Quimbao and Jay Em Yumol, while walking on the roadside of JP Laurel highway in Barangay Marawoy also at around 3:30 a.m. Sunday, were hit by a sport utility vehicle driven by Patrick Kyle Castillo.

Both victims sustained injuries and were taken to Lipa City District Hospital but Quimbao expired along the way.

After the incident, Castillo sped off to escape but a witness tipped off the police which led to his arrest.

Castillo reportedly admitted to investigators that he was driving under the influence of liquor. He remains under police custody.

In Tuy town, motorcyclist Edwin Catapang accidentally hit the motorcycle driven by Junny Calinawan along the national highway in Barangay Sabang around 10:20 p.m. Saturday.

The impact caused severe injuries to the motorcycle riders.

Catapang died on the way to the Apacible Memorial District Hospital.

The report did not state whether or not the motorcycle riders were wearing crash helmets as mandated under the Motorcycle Helmet Act of 2009.

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