2 killed in separate vehicular accidents

A 20-year-old student’s dream of becoming an engineer faded away after a 10-wheeler truck loaded with logs driven by his own stepfather ran over and killed him yesterday along MacArthur Highway in Valenzuela City. Three hours later, a sexagenarian biking his way to work in the city, was also killed along the same highway after he was rammed by a passenger jeepney.

Traffic probers said Genero Pautan, 20, single, civil engineering student of an undisclosed school, and a resident of 450 Malaya Street, Balut, Tondo, Manila, died of severe multiple fractures in the head and body. Held at the local police detention center for homicide through reckless imprudence was the victim’s stepfather, Melencio Llamanoz, 50, of Old Sta. Mesa, Manila.

Police reports showed the accident happened at around 4:30 a.m. yesterday in front of a Baliwag Lechon outlet along McArthur Highway in Barangay Dalandanan.

It was gathered that Llamanoz was backing up his vehicle (NUH 631) but did not notice Pautan, who was allegedly fixing a loose chain securing the logs loaded on the trailer. As the truck jerked back, Pautan lost his balance, fell from on top the logs to the ground. Unaware of what was happening, the suspect continued to back up, pinning the victim under the truck’s rear wheels. — Jerry Botial