Sunday vehicular accidents in Cordillera: 1 killed, 13 hurt

BAGUIO CITY – A 60-year-old Kalinga resident died while 13 people were injured in a series of vehicular accidents recorded in the Cordillera on Sunday, the Cordillera police said.

Eddie Sawil was killed when a mini-dump truck being driven up a road by Eric Wanawan, 30, fell into a 50-meter ravine in Pasil town in Kalinga province at 2:30 p.m.

Sawil owned the truck that was carrying aggregates up Balatoc village, when its brakes failed. Wanawan was seriously injured in the fall, and is being treated at a local hospital.

At 3:50 p.m. in Buguias town, Benguet province, a Nissan Patrol Safari fell off a road and into a creek due to a mechanical problem as driver Reynaldo Olosan, 57, negotiated a sharp curve at sitio (subvillage) Bayoyo, Buyacaoan village, police said.

Olosan was rushed to a hospital for chest injuries. His 25-year-old passenger, Clement Tudlong, was treated for minor injuries. They were on their way to Mountain Province capital, Bontoc town.

At 9:30 p.m. in the same town, a vehicle owned by a police officer crashed into a drinking establishment, injuring three of its customers in Abatan village.

Farmers Kelvin Berto, Elson Nacum, and Andres Ling-oy, all from Barlig town in Mt. Province, were pushed back by tables and chairs struck by a Pajero that crashed into the restaurant.

The vehicle’s owner, SPO4 Dionisio Abibico Jr., said he parked his car at 8:45 p.m. to withdraw money from an automated teller machine, and was surprised to find it had damaged the restaurant when he returned.

At 6 p.m. in Ifugao, two motorcycles collided, injuring three people along Poblacion West village in Lamut town. The crash occurred at an intersection, hurting motorcycle rider Gerald Boligon Balajo, 20, and couple Henry and Elmie Puguon, who were on the second motorcycle.

In Abra province at 2:50 p.m., three motorcycles crashed into each other along the Abra-Ilocos Norte road in the capital Bangued town. The collision injured motorcycle driver Laurence Pudol Baybayan; the second motorcycle driver Crisanto Beronilla and his passenger, grade school teacher Melody Vasquez; and the third motorcycle driver Bonifacio Tuazon.