8 dead in New Year’s Day road accidents

MANILA, Philippines - Eight persons died in separate road accidents in Isabela, Ilocos Norte, Misamis Oriental and Quezon on New Year’s Day.

The first accident occurred in Tagkawayan, Quezon when a passenger bus collided with a motorcycle on Quirino Highway at past midnight.

Police Officer 1 Ronaldo Deonedo said a Mega bus (TYM-193) driven by Enriquez Rowel Lausa was on its way to Bicol when it overtook another vehicle and hit a motorcycle on the opposite lane.

Motorcycle riders Jason Camara Salcedo, a resident of Barangay Tabason and Jeremy Mercado de Mesa of Barangay San Vicente died at the scene.

 Laoag City police said Neil Mark and Arnel Asuncion died when the motorcycle they were riding collided with a tricycle driven by a teenager.

In Ilagan City, Isabela, Larry Sasis, 33, died when his motorcycle hit the metal railings along Maharlika Highway. His girlfriend, Mary Christine Aquino, 22, of San Nicolas, Tarlac was brought to the Governor Faustino Dy Sr. Memorial Hospital.

Police said Sasis could have been drunk as the couple just came from a party when the incident occurred at around 4 a.m.

In El Salvador  in Misamis Oriental, a multicab collided with a pickup truck along the national highway, killing the driver of the multicab and his woman passenger.

The driver of the pickup truck and his companion were injured and brought to a hospital in Alubijid town. Investigators identified one of the fatalities as Chona Danolo, a firefighter, according to her identification card.