2 killed, 5 injured in Bukidnon highway accident

COTABATO CITY — Two individuals were killed and five others severely injured when a refrigerated truck loaded with frozen fish collided with a van and a motorcycle, causing all three vehicles to plunge into a roadside ravine in Quezon town, Bukidnon, on Monday, January 6.

Senior officials of the Bukidnon Provincial Police Office and the Police Regional Office-10 told reporters on Tuesday, January 7, that Mohammad Exan Bola, 53, of Marawi City in Lanao del Sur, and the 26-year-old Jayser Pendorat Bautil, a resident of Barangay Kalilangan in Pantar, Lanao del Norte, were declared dead on arrival by doctors in a hospital where emergency responders transported them for treatment.

An initial report from the Quezon Municipal Police Station, released to reporters early Tuesday, revealed that the driver of the refrigerated truck lost control of the vehicle when its brake system malfunctioned while navigating a steep, downhill stretch of highway in Barangay Palacapao, Quezon. The truck collided with a motorcycle and an L300 van ahead, causing all three vehicles to plunge into a deep ravine alongside the route.

Witnesses who spoke with police investigators said that all three vehicles involved in the accident rolled over multiple times before landing in an open field about 50 meters down the ravine.

One of the two fatalities, identified as Bautil, was a helper of the driver of the refrigerated truck, which bore the license plates ZAD 6080. The truck was driven by 45-year-old Solaiman Baco Moctar, a resident of Digos City in Davao del Sur.

The road mishap left five others, including Moctar, the driver of the L300 van and the motorist that his truck rammed, badly injured.

Police investigators and barangay officials have confirmed to reporters that the right arm of one of the victims got severed from the shoulder and was found in a grassy spot several meters away.