INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
LUCENA CITY — At least eight persons died and seven others were injured Sunday when two vehicles collided on the Maharlika Highway in Sariaya town in Quezon province.
The Quezon police reported that a Manila-bound Nissan Escapade van, driven by Eleodoro Bermudo, was ferrying 14 passengers around 5:30 a.m. when it collided with an oncoming Isuzu aluminum wing van truck driven by Crisanto Pascual in Barangay Sto. Cristo.
The collision injured all the van passengers, who were taken to four hospitals for treatment bu four passengers were declared dead on arrival at the ACE Medical Center in Sariaya and Candelaria Doctor’s Hospital in Candelaria town. They were Jaime Bermudo, Francisco Concepcion, Sarah Joy Concepcionm and a girl named MJ, 2.
Driver Bermudo and passengers Danilo Dapadap and Villamor Concepcion died on the spot. Another passenger Sarah Concepcion died while undergoing treatment at Quezon Medical Center (QMC) before noon, police said.
The report identified the injured motorists as Ariel Caliro, Louis Aldea, Antero Vergara, Gilber Bermuda, Jomar Caliro, Anjo Caliro, and Sarah Concepcion. They were confined at Candelaria Doctor’s Hospital, Peter Paul Hospital in Candelaria, and QMC in Lucena City.
READ: Rider dead, 1 hurt in collision between a motorcycle and a truck in Quezon
Relatives
The van “swerved and occupied the (opposite) lane,” which led to the collision, the police said.
Truck driver Pascual suffered injuries and was taken to QMC, while his helper was unhurt.
Police said the truck driver was facing cases of multiple homicides, physical injuries, and damage to properties.
Edward Bermudo, son of Eleodoro, said in a phone interview, that the 14 van passengers, all residents of Metro Manila, were relatives.
They were traveling back to Manila in convoy with another vehicle, an Adventure van, after attending a family event in Balatan town in Camarines Sur province.
Edward said the victims left Balatan on Saturday afternoon. “I wanted to join them but they did not pick me up in my house,” he said. INQ