CEBU CITY, Philippines – An 11-year-old boy died in a Liloan accident after his head was run over by a dump truck that collided with the motorcycle his father was driving along the national road in Barangay Jubay, Liloan town, Cebu on Friday morning, April 12, 2024.
The fatal accident happened at around 9:45 a.m., resulting to the untimely death of a minor.
However, the accident was reported to the Liloan Municipal Police Station, at 10:15 a.m.
The driver of the motorcycle was identified as 53-year-old Rogelio Icot Dungog Jr., a resident of Bonifacio Street, Poblacion, Lapu -Lapu City.
His backrider was his 11-year-old son.
READ MORE:
Viaduct accident in Cebu City: Hailing app driver, passenger die after motorcycle slams into center island
Counterflowing taxi claims life of 19-year-old rider in Liloan, Cebu
38 PH kids die each day in road crashes
According to Patrolman Kevin Borbon, investigator at the Liloan Police Station, Dungog and his son were traveling north at the time of the accident to buy something at a hardware store.
Also heading north was a dump truck driven by 45-year-old Lemuel Capacite Mojillo, a resident of Lawaan III, Talisay City, Cebu.
Mojillo and one of his co-workers were reportedly on their way to Carmen town to pick up limestone to be delivered to Alcoy.
Borbon narrated that Mojillo allegedly swerved from the inner lane to the outer lane in order to stop the truck by the side of the road.
Dungog, however, told a different story and said that the dump truck tried to overtake him.
Mojillo told police that he did not see the motorcycle that was traveling a little ahead of him on the opposite lane.
When he changed lanes, the truck hit the back portion of Dungog’s motorcycle.
Due to the impact, the minor backrider fell and was hit by one of the wheels at the back of the truck.
Borbon said that the child’s head was then run over. His helmet was crushed and his skull was cracked open.
Meanwhile, Dungog was pushed to the side of the road along with his motorcycle. He reportedly sustained minor injuries on his body and shoulder.
After hitting the motorcycle, the dump truck allegedly continued on its way as the driver claimed that he did not notice anything unusual.
However, residents who witnessed the incident flagged him down a few meters ahead.
A few locals who were enraged at Mojillo’s attempt to flee reportedly tried to maul the driver, said Borbon.
Mojillo, however, claimed that he planned to head straight to the police station at the time despite not knowing where it was.
Upon the arrival of authorities, Mojillo was taken into custody by police while Dungog was brought to the hospital for an X-ray examination, despite his insistence that he did not need it.
As of this writing, Dungog is in a stable condition and is recovering at the hospital.
Borbon narrated that Dungog is now in the process of accepting what happened to his son after the driver admitted accountability to the Liloan accident.
The cadaver of the minor, who died on the spot, was taken to a funeral home by his relatives while Mojillo remains detained at the custodial facility of the Liloan Municipal Police Station.
READ: Don’t die on the road during the holidays: Tips on avoiding fatal mishaps
Charges of reckless imprudence resulting to homicide, physical injury, and damage to property may be filed against him.
According to Borbon, the company that the suspect works for has expressed willingness to cover the victim’s burial expenses.
The victims’ family, on the other hand, said that they will be coming up with a decision on whether to file a case against Mojillo on Sunday after they meet with company representatives.
Borbon said that an investigation is ongoing to uncover what really happened in the Liloan accident.
In order to avoid unfortunate incidents like this, Borbon advised drivers of large vehicles to always check before changing lanes or turning while on the road.