7 DEAD, 7 HURT IN QUEZON VAN-TRUCK COLLISION

SARIAYA, Quezon – Seven persons early Sunday morning died while seven others were severely-injured when the van they were riding collided head-on with a wing van truck on Maharlika Highway in Bgy. Sto. Cristo, this municipality.

Quezon police director Col. Ledon Monte identified the fatalities as van driver Eleodoro Bermudo, Danilo Dapadap, Villamor Concepcion, Jaime Bermudo, Francisco Concepcion, Sarah Joy Concepcion, an alias “MJ,” and a two-year- old girl.

Bermudo and Dapadap died on the spot while the others  were declared dead on arrival at different hospitals where they were rushed.

Those injured were Ariel Caliro, Louis Aldea, Antero Vergara, Gilbert Bermuda, Jomar Caliro, Anjo Caliro and Sarah Concepcion.

Town police commander Lt. Col. Carlo Caceres said initial police investigation showed that the north-bound passenger Nissan Escapade with plate number UXI 258 driven by Eleodoro Bermudo was traversing the highway when it accidentally struck the approaching South- bound Isuzu aluminum wing van truck with plate number 137704 and driven by Crisanto Pascual at around 5:30 a.m. Sunday.

The van swerved and occupied the left lane of the highway, colliding with the fast approaching truck.

On impact, he said the van driver and all the occupants suffered multiple injuries resulting to the death of the seven.

Emergency Response Team of Sariaya, along with the local police and the Bureau of Fire Protection-Sariaya, quickly responded to the accident site and rushed the victims to the hospital.