INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
DAGUPAN CITY — Eighteen passengers, among them two children, were hurt early Wednesday morning when the Kia minibus they were traveling in tipped over after hitting several concrete barriers along a bridge that is under construction at Pozorrubio town in Pangasinan province.
SPO1 Dante Lozano, Pozorrubio police desk officer, said the vehicle was traversing the northbound lane of the Manila North Road in Barangay (village) Bobonan at about 12:05 a.m. when the accident occurred.
Lozano said the passengers — all from Baguio City — were mostly religious workers, who attended a Bible mission in Tarlac province. The youngest passenger was four years old.
The victims were identified as Christian Ambojnon, 18; Cyrelle Serquenza, 31; Wifalyn Ricardo, 28; Elizabeth Serna, 21; Janna Jaramillo, 18; Rene Jaramillo, 48;Shirelyn Castro, 39; Sophia Harmony Castro, 8; Lycca Abalde, 16; Cristine Pajarillaga, 30; Beejey Castro, 4; Javy Jaramillo, 16; Stephanie Ragas, 16; Julie Ann Dalisdis, 18; Jane Catanglan,33; Pablo Soriano, 51; Jhunie Naciza, 26; and driver Edwin Leonard Domenden III, 25.
All of them were brought to the Pozorrubio Community Hospital for medical attention.
Four other passengers — John Michael Manzano, 18; Russel Brandon Casilen, 17; Maica Jaramillo, 17; and Polyshien Manzano, 18 — were not hurt.
Investigators were still trying to determine why the driver was not able to avoid the concrete barriers as of this posting. /kga