BUTUAN CITY (MindaNews/14 April) – Authorities are now on the hunt for the driver of the Isuzu Elf truck involved in an accident that killed four of its passengers and injured 52 more as it overturned in the middle of the highway in Prosperidad town, Agusan del Sur Thursday afternoon.
The passengers, police said, were on their way home after attending a relative’s funeral.
The truck driver, who was only identified as Jimmy, immediately fled from the accident area while people in the nearby community were busy attending to the injured victims.
Two died instantly while the two other fatalities died in the hospital.
The victims were immediately brought to the D.O. Plaza Memorial Hospital in Patin-ay, the town’s center, for medical treatment.
One of those killed was a 12-year-old child. Her mother, father and brother were among those who survived but suffered wounds and bruises and undergoing treatment.
Investigations conducted by the police personnel from the Prosperidad Municipal Police Station headed by Senior Insp. Joseph Ejercito Lambaco revealed that the vehicle accidentally swerved as it was about to overtake a motorcycle along Purok 4, Barangay Sta. Irene in the capital town of Prosperidad. It then fell on its side along the road pavement.
The passengers were reportedly about to return to their home in Barangay La Perian in Prosperidad after the funeral.
Several of the victims said the truck was traveling unusually fast, even on curved sections of the highway.
Annie Espella, one of those injured, said it was the driver’s fault as he was driving so fast.
Several of the passengers, she said, were able to jumped off the truck but some were not quick enough. Some victims even hit Falcata logs piled on the side of the road, said Annie, who was with her mother and a nephew. (Erwin Mascariñas / MindaNews)
