6 dead as speeding car slams into tree in Tagaytay

LOS BAÑOS, Laguna—Six people died when their car burst into flames after it hit a concrete barrier and slammed into a tree in Tagaytay City in Cavite province yesterday, police said.

The victims—three men and three women—were on board a red Toyota Vios that was seen speeding along the city’s Barangay of San Jose at 2:44 a.m. on Sunday before the crash, said Supt. Ferdinand Quirante, Tagaytay City police chief.

Only one of the fatalities—Ronalyn Bautista, 17, and a resident of Imus City also in Cavite—was identified by the police through an identification card recovered by investigators, Quirante said.

The remains of the victims were taken to a funeral home in Dasmariñas City.

Bautista’s family could not say who she could be with at the time of the accident.

Quirante, quoting witnesses, said the car was seen near a convenience store in Tagaytay City rotunda shortly before the accident happened along the Tagaytay-Calamba Road.

“It was running very fast and [was seen swerving] before it hit a concrete barrier and a tree,” he said.

Clyde Yayong of the Office of the Civil Defense in Tagaytay said the crash site was about 400 meters from the village hall.

“When the village watchmen arrived, the car was already on fire. Then they saw it burst into bigger flames in less than five minutes,” he said.

Quirante said rescuers came with fire extinguishers and a water hose from a nearby coffee shop but the fire had spread fast and engulfed the car.

The passengers were burned beyond recognition, making it difficult to immediately identify them and determine their ages, Yayong said.