Five injured in road accidents

CEBU, Philippines - Five men, including two teenagers, were injured after they figured in separate vehicular accidents in southern Cebu recently.

In sitio Bia-ong, Mantalongon, Barili town, three young men were rushed to the hospital after their motorcycles hit a fence and the rest collided into each other at past 11 pm last Thursday.

Police identified the victims as Jonne Melero, 20, of Barangay Mantalongon; Charlie Caballero, 18, of San Juan, Aloguinsan; and Jesriel Babao, 17, also from Barangay Mantalongon.

Investigation showed that all victims rode on three separate motorcycles trailing the national highway heading in the same direction prior to the incident.

Investigation further showed that the drivers of the motorcycles were speeding and trying to overtake each other.

Melero was driving in pillion on a Honda XLR 200 driven by one Brando Galon from Barangay Dakit’s proper while Caballero, driving a Honda motorcycle, was tailing him. Caballero, on the other hand, was being tailed by Babao, who drove a black Suzuki Smash motorcycle.

When the three youngsters reached a blind curve in the area, Caballero tried to overtake Galon, thereby encroaching the opposite lane. He eventually slammed on a barbed wire fence of the Milk Station and incurred injuries in the different parts of his body.

Galon and Melero noticed what happened to Caballero, which prompted them to stop and turn around but they were eventually hit by the motorcycle of Babao, who was also speeding then.

Due to the collision, Melero and Babao were both injured.

Galon survived unscathed while the three victims were rushed to the Barili District Hospital for treatment.

Meanwhile, in the national highway of Barangay Linao, Minglanilla, 20-year-old Michael Mendez and Bryan Manquiquis were also injured in a separate incident.

Manquiquis, a College student, was driving a red Honda Civic from Cebu City at past 6 pm last Friday when he tried to overtake another vehicle.

In the process, he hit Mendez, who was crossing the road.

Mendez slammed on the car’s windshield. The broken glasses also hit Manquiquis.

Both victims were injured. Mendez was rushed to the South General Hospital for treatment.

All vehicles of both incidents were badly damaged and are currently under the custody of the respective police stations of the said towns.  (FREEMAN)