Bike slams into parked truck, 3 killed

Three persons, including two women, were killed after the motorcycle they were riding slammed into a trailer truck parked along a national highway in barangay Tungkop, Minglanilla town, southern Cebu at dawn yesterday.

Police identified the fatalities as Bernard Bacus, 23; Cristylyn Aledon, 25; and Aimme Sabellita, all residents of Minglanilla town.

Police said Bacus drove the black Honda Wave motorcycle, which didn’t have a plate number.

Police said the trio came from Naga City where they bought a case of beer and were heading for Tungkop when they met the accident around 2 a.m.

SPO1 Renato Masangcay, investigator of the Minglanilla police precinct, said there were witnesses who saw the three victims racing with another motorcycle.

According to the witnesses, Bacus tried to overtake a truck in a blind curve but instead of overtaking from the left side, Bacus maneuver from the right side that caused the motorcycle to slam into parked trailer truck.

Police said the victims slammed into the metal rear portion of the trailer truck and was thrown off the motorcycle.

Masangcay said Bacus and Aledon died on the spot while Sabellita died shortly after she was rushed to the South General Hospital.

Masangcay said it was not immediately known if the three victims, who didn’t wear helmets, were under the influence of alcohol during the accident.

The trailer truck with plate number GXJ-974 is owned by Big Boy Trucking. The driver of the trailer truck, Jiffy Abadiez, lives in the area. He was about to deliver bags of cement. He parked the truck by the road and dropped by his house to change clothes.

Masangcay said police will coordinate with the Department of Public Works and Highways in Central Visayas (DPWH-7) and the Land Transportation Office in Central Visayas (LTO-7) to find out if Abadiez could be held liable since the truck had encroached a portion of the road during the accident.

Arnel Tancinco, LTO-7 assistant regional director, said under the law, the driver of the truck could not be held criminally liable for the accident.

“Ubos sa atong balaod, ang modasmag mao gyuy sad-an,” he said.

Tancinco said even if the truck was parked illegally, the driver could just be cited for illegal parking which will be an administrative case before the LTO. /WITH A REPORT FROM CORRESPONDENT GABRIEL C. BONJOC