Seven die in road mishaps

MANILA, Philippines — Seven commuters were killed in separate road acidents in Sultan Kudarat and Cagayan since Thursday.

Six of the commuters, four of them children, died in a multiple vehicular accident in Tacurong City, Sultan Kudarat before dawn yesterday.

The fatalities were riding separate tricycles that slammed between two speeding vehicles, a Mitsubishi Montero and a Toyota Hilux pick-up truck, along the Tacurong-Koronadal Highway.

Witnesses confirmed that the two vehicles were racing towards Tacurong City when both collided with the tricycles sandwiched in the middle.

Lt. Col. Rey Egos, Tacurong City police chief, said both drivers of the Mitsubishi and Toyota were drunk and came from a party at nearby Koronadal City.

“They both confessed to their being under influence of liquor,” Egos told reporters.

One of the six persons killed in the mishap was a passenger from the Mitsubishi, according to the police chief.

He added that one of the slain children was a nine-month-old infant.

Meanwhile, a 42-year-old farmer died while a nursemaid and her one-year-old ward were hospitalized in separate highway accidents in Alicia, Isabela and Abulug, Cagayan last Thursday.

Reports said the tricycle, driven by Frederick Returco, figured in a crash with a Mitshubishi Lancer driven by Jose Prudencio in Barangay San Fernando, Alicia. Returco was declared dead on arrival at a hospital.

In Abulug, Reylinda Pagudpud had alighted a jeep carrying one-year old Maria Priscanne Bancud when she was struck by an oncoming car driven by Moses Ingan.  – With Raymund Catindig