ORMOC CITY — Four people, including the driver, were killed while several others were injured after a passenger van slammed into a parked flatbed truck in Basey, Samar early Tuesday morning, February 10.
The fatal crash occurred around 6:45 a.m. in Sitio Sugpuron, Barangay Balud, Basey. Police identified the fatalities as the van driver, alias “Rom,” 54, of Barangay Calaasni, Alangalang, Leyte; and passengers alias “Licia,” 71; alias “Mel”; and alias “Nimfa,” 57, of Borongan City.
Injured were alias “Jake,” 26, a government employee from San Gabriel, Borongan City; alias “Tom,” 28, a surveyor from Barangay Balud, Borongan City; alias “Exa,” 23, of Maypangdan, Borongan City; alias “Kathy,” 24, of Barangay Carayman, Calbayog City; alias “Ian,” 17, of Barangay Bato, Borongan City; and alias “Lian,” 24, of Barangay 2, Balangkayan, Eastern Samar. They were rushed to Basey District Hospital for treatment.
The vehicles involved were a Toyota Hiace commuter van operating under the “Duptours” UV Express service on the Borongan–Tacloban route, bearing plate number HAH 9752, and a flatbed truck with plate number ALA 8579 that was parked along the roadside.
In a report to the Police Regional Office 8, local police said they received information about the incident at around 7:50 a.m. and immediately dispatched personnel to the scene.
Initial investigation showed that the van was traveling from Borongan City toward Tacloban City when it allegedly swerved into the opposite lane upon reaching Barangay Balud and struck the parked truck.
Authorities sought assistance from the Municipal Health Office of Basey and the Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) for further investigation.
(ROBERT DEJON)
