5 dead, 4 hurt as SUV hits tricycle in Batangas mishap

LUCENA CITY, Quezon — Five passengers of a tricycle died after the vehicle was struck by a sports utility vehicle (SUV) driven by an elderly woman in San Juan, Batangas, on Tuesday afternoon, police said.

In a belated report released on Wednesday, the Police Regional Office 4A said a Honda Mobilio driven by a 66-year-old woman identified only by the alias “Maria” suddenly swerved into the opposite lane along the national highway in Barangay Abung at around 2:05 p.m.

READ: 1 dead, 4 injured after truck overturns in Batangas – police

Citing the account of another motorist passing through the area, police said the oncoming tricycle, driven by an alias “Arjay,” 36, tried to avoid the collision and maneuvered to avoid it. However, the SUV still crashed into the tricycle’s sidecar.

The impact left Arjay and all eight passengers of the tricycle seriously injured. Rescuers rushed them to a nearby hospital, where five passengers — four women and one man — were declared dead on arrival.

Police withheld the victims’ identities and personal information, releasing only their aliases.

Authorities said further investigation is underway while Maria remains under police custody./coa