Septuagenarian couple dies while crossing accident-prone road in Davao del Sur town

SULOP, Davao del Sur — A septuagenarian couple was killed when they crossed a dangerous stretch of the General Santos-Digos City national highway and was hit by a passing private van in Barangay Talas of Sulop town in Davao del Sur past 6 p.m. on Thursday.

Police Staff Sergeant Joejie Cababat, traffic investigator, on Friday, identified the victims as Agrifino and Josefina Garson, both 77 years old and residents of Barangay Banate, Malungon, Sarangani province.

Cababat said their initial investigation disclosed that the two pedestrians crossed the road and were already at the center of the highway, a known accident-prone area in the town, when a Hyundai Grand Starex, driven by Jeth Espina of Toril, Davao City, bumped the couple.

The policeman said the victims were thrown to the opposite lane and Josefina was hit anew, when she was run over by a Fuso Aluminum wing van truck driven by Danilo Petere, 48, also a resident of Davao City.

Cababat said the victims suffered injuries in different parts of their bodies, killing both on the spot.

He said the drivers of both vehicles were held at the Sulop police station.