3 dead, 22 hurt in La Union road accident

SAN FERNANDO CITY – At least three persons died while 22 others were hurt when a passenger jeepney lost its brakes and hit a stone wall in San Fernando City in La Union province on Thursday morning, police said.

Superintendent Julius Suriben, city police chief, said passengers Loren Mayo, 43, and one identified only as Evangeline, died instantly. Another passenger, Helen Fernandez, died while being taken to a hospital.

Suriben said driver Eugene Marquez, 33, was negotiating a curve in Barangay (village) Pias at 8 a.m. when he lost control of the wheel when the jeepney’s brakes failed.

Senior Inspector Cirilo Butigan, investigator of the city police, said the jeepney slipped, fell on its side and hit a road riprap (stone wall) in the process.

The victims, Butigan said, were squeezed between the jeepney and the riprap.

The jeepney was headed to the San Fernando city proper when the accident happened. A landslide hit that section of the village road on Sunday night when Typhoon “Luis” dumped heavy rains on provinces in northern Luzon as it moved toward the West Philippine Sea, police said.

Originally posted: 10:38 am | Thursday, September 18th, 2014