3 women killed as sugarcane truck crushes tricycle

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines—A sugarcane truck carrying 23 tons of sugarcane crushed and killed three persons, including a 22-year-old pregnant woman, who were on board a tricycle Thursday morning in Sagay City, Negros Occidental.

The Sagay City police said the fatalities, identified as Bingbing Alolon, 22, who was reported as pregnant, Rosita Alob, 69, and a certain Indang Ilalim, died on the spot.

The driver of the tricycle Angelito Ilalim, however, survived the accident which occurred at 9 a.m.

Senior Inspector Gabriel Gutierrez, Sagay police chief, on Thursday said it took an hour for the police and the rescuers to extricate the bodies of the victims from beneath the sugarcane and cargo truck, which fell on the tricycle.

Gutierrez said they had to use a crane to remove the cargo truck and sugarcane, which nearly flattened the tricycle.

The Sagay City police said the 10-wheeler cargo truck, driven by Alejandro Balalalhe, was on its way to Victorias Milling Company in Victorias City and was negotiating a curve on a downhill road in Barangay Paraiso, Sagay City, when the accident took place.

Gutierrez said the cargo truck fell on its side, crushing the tricycle, which was parked in the area, pinning to death its three passengers.

The tricycle driver was standing beside the tricycle while refueling the vehicle and when he saw the truck careening toward them, he ran but the women inside the tricycle failed to get out in time.

Almost half an hour before the incident, the cargo truck driven by Balalalhe was intercepted by a traffic enforcer at Barangay Poblacion of Sagay City, for violation of a city ordinance, which prescribes the allowable height of a sugarcane cargo loaded in a truck.

After the confiscation of his driver’s license and the issuance of a citation ticket, Balalalhe was allowed to proceed to their destination, Gutierrez said.

He explained that they could not detain the driver and hold its cargo for such violation, because it was not prescribed in the law.

Those who violate this city ordinance would be required to pay P200 fine.

Balalalhe is now detained at the Sagay City Police Station, pending the filing of charges for reckless imprudence resulting to multiple homicide.