A vehicular accident in Brgy. Ilihan, Tabogon, Cebu on Thursday, April 25, led to the death of an 18-year-old man and his minor sister who were on their way home from school. | Contributed photo via Paul Lauro
CEBU CITY, Philippines — An 18-year-old man and his 13-year-old sister died after their motorcycle collided with a truck along the road in Barangay Ilihan in Tabogon town, northern Cebu on Thursday afternoon, April 25, 2024.
The fatal accident happened at around 4:10 p.m., resulting to the untimely death of the siblings.
The victims were identified as Emman Pekit-Pekit, 18, a Grade 12 student; and his minor sister who is in Grade 7.
The siblings are residents of Barangay Jose, Borbon town, also in northern Cebu.
READ MORE:
EXPLAINER: Why ‘innocent’ drivers get arrested in road accidents
Liloan accident: Habal-habal driver’s family, van driver settle amicably
Liloan accident: 11-year-old boy dies after getting run over by dump truck
Meanwhile, the driver of the Isuzu Elf truck was identified as Ferdinand Pacifico Pipeto, 50.
Pipeto is a barangay councilor in his residence in Barangay Calambua, San Remigio town also in northern Cebu. He surrendered to police after the accident.
Police, in a report, showed that the both vehicles were traveling in opposite directions when the accident took place.
Pekit-Pekit was driving his motorcycle with his sister as his backrider as they headed home from school.
Pipeto, on the other hand, was reportedly traveling from Sitio Colonia in Brgy. Ilihan to Sitio Lamak in the same barangay.
According to police, Pipeto was offering water among residents in the barangay as they are experiencing a water shortage.
Upon reaching a curved lane in Sitio Colonio, the siblings’ motorcycle allegedly encroached on the opposite lane because of the bumpy road.
This resulted to them hitting the left portion, specifically the left headlight, of Pipeto’s truck.
READ MORE:
17 dead in Cotabato road accident
3 dead in multiple vehicle crash in Bataan
The impact of the collision caused the brother to be thrown along with the motorcycle before getting stuck on the front of the truck.
Meanwhile, his sister was thrown from the motorcycle landing hard on the side of the road.
Police Corporal Socrates Bacalso, investigator at the Tabogon Police Station, said that both victims were not wearing helmets at the time of the incident.
The two sustained injuries on different parts of their bodies and were brought by responding Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) ambulance to the Cebu Provincial Hospital in Bogo City.
Both victims, however, were declared dead on arrival by the attending physician after they arrived at the hospital minutes apart.
According to Bacalso, the truck driver voluntarily surrendered to the responding policeman at the scene.
As of this writing, Pipeto is detained at the custodial facility of the Tabogon Police Station pending the filing of appropriate charges against him.
He will likely be facing a charge of reckless imprudence resulting in double homicide and damage to properities, said the report.
The police investigator also said that the driver and the owner of the truck were trying to settle amicably with the victim’s family.
However, Bacalso said that the victims’ family had yet to make a decision on whether they would be filing a complaint against the arrested person.