KIDAPAWAN CITY (MindaNews / 22 April) — A wayward truck loaded with cases of softdrinks rammed into four motorcycles along a dangerous curve in Makilala, North Cotabato at around 5:20 a.m. on Saturday, killing six, five of them instantly. Three other persons were injured.
The accident happened just days after the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of North Cotabato passed a resolution authored by Board Member Socrates Piñol, urging the Department of Public Works and Highways to immediately rebuild the dangerous curve which has been a cause of several accidents.
Reports from the Traffic Division of the Makilala PNP said four of those who were killed in this latest accident were the drivers of the motorcycles the truck hit when it started to go wayward along Barangay Malasila, a known dangerous curve and considered part of the ‘killer highway’ in Makilala town.
Also killed was a still unidentified woman who was waiting for a passenger bus bound for Davao City.
Reports said she was hit by boxes of soft drinks when the truck turned upside down just few meters away from her.
The truck driver, his helper, and a passenger from a motorcycle suffered severe injuries and were rushed to different hospitals in Makilala and Kidapawan City.
The truck, loaded with Pepsi Cola soft drinks, was on its way to Kidapawan City.
This was the second vehicular accident that involved trucks of Pepsi Cola, Inc. Last week, another Pepsi Cola truck went wayward along the highway in Makilala when it lost its brakes that killed the driver and injured his helper.
Since January, at least 10 vehicular accidents have been reported along the Makilala highway, many of them involving big trucks. (Malu Cadelina Manar / MindaNews)