The passenger jeepney involved in the accident. – Photo grabbed from News5 Facebook Page
LUBAO – Tragedy struck on New Year’s Day in Barangay San Agustin here claiming seven lives in a vehicular accident involving a pickup truck, a passenger jeepney and a flatbed truck.
Based on the CCTV footage of Barangay San Agustin, the passenger jeepney bound for the City of San Fernando lost control after being hit by the pickup truck and landed on its side on the other lane where it was hit by the oncoming flatbed truck.
The jeepney had 22 passengers and seven of them, including a child, were pronounced dead on arrival in a nearby hospital where they were brought.
As of press time, Lt. Col. Michael John Riego, chief of police, said investigation was still ongoing. He declined further comment saying he was still a in a meeting with Mayor Esmie G. Pineda.
The driver of the pickup was identified as Alexander Domingo. He is now facing charges of multiple homicide, physical injuries, and damage to properties.
In a police report, the accident happened at around 6 p.m. along a stretch of the Jose Abad Santos Avenue in the said barangay.
The jeepney driver was identified as Hernando Dela Rosa, Jr., a resident of Barangay Lourdes here while the driver of the Isuzu flatbed truck was identified as Celso Sarmiento, 42.
Domingo was driving a Nissan Navarra pickup.
The initial police investigation showed that Domingo’s pickup caused the collision with the jeepney as it tried to merged with the westbound traffic.
The jeepney lost control and fell on its side in the other direction where it was hit by the oncoming flatbed truck.
The accident was caught in the barangay’s CCTV camera.
