3 die, 12 hurt in La Union, Isabela highway crashes

Road collapses; cement from mixer kills 2 

By Freddie Lazaro and Liezle Basa Iñigo

LUNA, La Union — Two separate accidents resulted in the killing of two construction workers in La Union and a man in Isabela province last Wednesday, police said.

In La Union, two construction workers died and 10 others were injured when a cement truck overturned after the road collapsed beneath it in Barangay Oaqui, Luna town.

Chief Insp. Arsenio Ramos, Luna police chief, identified the fatalities as Jerry Olpindo, 21, and Jeremy Madrigal, both residents of Barangay Nagsabaran, Bangar, La Union.

They died when the cement mixture in the truck poured over them.

Those injured were Alan Pascua, 29; Jerry Ormita, 24; Antonio Rivera, 35; Jesus Rivera, 36; Eric Hidalgo, 18, Reynaldo Munio, 55; Christopher Lopez, 26; William Bustamante, 18; Joel Monis, 25; Raul Madrid, 23; and Me-oan James Casem, 19.

Cement truck driver Eugenio Riotoc, 50, said he was surprised when the road they were traveling suddenly collapsed.

Meanwhile in Isabela, a Mitsubishi Strada pick-up crashed into the welcome marker of Aurora town, resulting in the death of one of its occupants – Dennis Cayetano – at 8:40 p.m. Wednesday.

The driver AJ Baligad and the other passenger Victor Fernan, 13, were injured and taken to the hospital.

Senior Inspector Melvin delos Santos, local police chief, said Baligad is being investigated for possible alcohol intoxication while behind the wheel.