A woman was killed and six others injured in a multi-vehicle collision along the national highway in Purok Tuburan, Barangay Tampalon in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental, on Saturday, May 31.
The fatal crash involved a hauler truck, a tricycle, and a motorcycle. The victim was identified as 51-year-old Jinky Pitogo, a passenger in the tricycle.
She sustained severe head injuries and was declared dead on arrival at the hospital.
Initial police investigation revealed that the truck driver, 18-year-old Eljohn Sarmoy, lost control of the vehicle while navigating a curve.
The truck reportedly veered into the opposite lane, crashing into the tricycle driven by Armando Canoy Sr.
A motorcycle driven by 31-year-old Jestoni Porras also got involved in the incident after swerving to avoid the oncoming truck, ultimately ending up on the roadside.
The injured included Canoy, an 11-year-old tricycle passenger, Porras, Sarmoy, and two of his companions in the hauler truck—Ralph Lachica, 20, and a 17-year-old male.
All were immediately taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Meanwhile, authorities are awaiting a decision from Pitogo’s family on whether to file charges against Sarmoy.*
Reymund Titong is a Filipino journalist steadily building his voice in the field of news reporting, driven by a commitment to tell meaningful and relevant stories.
He serves as a correspondent for Rappler, contributes to Negros Daily Bulletin, and maintains a blog on Medium.