LEGAZPI CITY—The three persons earlier reported injured in a multiple-vehicle accident along the Maharlika Highway in Barangay (village) Busay, Daraga, Albay on Friday have all died due to serious injuries, police said Saturday.
READ: 3 hurt in 3-vehicle collision in Albay
The fatalities were Carol Lopez, 43, a resident of Barangay Bonot, Legazpi City; Juvanne Obiedo, a truck helper from Barangay Putiao, Pilar, Sorsogon and an Italian national, Tomas Tognolio, 42.
Senior Inspector Malu Calubaquib, spokesperson of the Philippine National Police in Bicol, said Lopez and Obiedo never made it to the hospital as the two were pronounced dead when they reached the Bicol Regional Training and Teaching Hospital, located also in Daraga.
Meanwhile, Tognolio died at around 1 a.m. Saturday while undergoing treatment at the same hospital, said Calubaquib.
All the victims sustained multiple head and body injuries in the road accident that happened at around 2:20 p.m. Friday when a speeding Isuzu utility passenger jeep (PUJ) (EVR 343), driven by Warren Magdasoc, 35, of Barangay Mina, Camalig, Albay, rammed into a rear end of a truck (WKC 634) loaded with gravel and sand driven by Samson Loterte, 56.
The truck, after it was hit by the PUJ, went out of control, veered into the opposite direction and collided head on with a Mitsubishi Montero Sport (WBQ 949) driven by Tognolo, with Lopez as passenger.
Another vehicle, an Isuzu Wing 10-wheeler truck (HUR 841), which was behind the Montero, ended up crashing into the rear end of the Montero as it was too late to for the driver, Efren Bacosa, 53, of Bato, Leyte, to maneuver his vehicle out of the way, said Calubaquib.
Police investigators said the sand and gravel truck and the Isuzu jeep were negotiating the Maharlika Highway and on their way to Daraga town proper while the Montero SUV and the Isuzu truck were traveling the opposite direction heading for the town of Camalig.
Calubaquib said the drivers of both the PUJ and the truck were now detained by the Daraga police while investigators were still determining who would be held accountable for the multiple mishap. RAM