By Glazyl Y. Masculino
BACOLOD City – Two persons died while another was injured in a multiple vehicular crash at Barangay Tabao Rizal, San Enrique, Negros Occidental last Friday.
Police Lieutenant Sammy Gasataya, deputy police chief of San Enrique Municipal Police Station, identified the fatalities as Joleto Villahermosa, 25, of La Castellana town, a helper of a canter truck; and tricycle driver Hermie Hadia, 55, of Pontevedra town.
Wounded was truck driver Joshua Junsay, 23, of La Castellana town.
Gasataya said the six-wheeler truck driven by Junsay loaded with sugarcane was on its way to the south from this city when its left front tire exploded causing the vehicle to swerve to the opposite lane.
Junsay’s truck collided with another truck loaded with vegetables and driven by 26-year-old Bernan Saladas of La Castellana town.
Due to the impact, Junsay’s truck also crashed into a tricycle that was tailing Saladas’s truck, Gasataya said.
The tricycle then hit two stalls on the roadside, he added.
Gasataya said the stall owned by April Joy Donasco was destroyed, while the other owned by Merly Estosos was partially damaged. Both were unharmed.
Gasataya said the two casualties were declared dead on arrival at a hospital, while Saladas, who was unharmed, is detained at the police station. Gasataya said the victims’ families and Saladas will meet for a settlement on Tuesday.