Two persons including a rookie policeman died while their girlfriends were injured after their Toyota Innova fell into a 10-foot ravine at the national highway of Candagit, Sibonga town located 50.7 km south of Cebu City at 9 p.m. Tuesday.
Police said PO1 Anthony Belarma Heredia, a 27-year-old SWAT member of the Regional Public Safety Battalion (RPSB 7) and resident of barangay Nalhub Dalaguete town, died at the Carcar City District Hospital.
Another fatality was 32-year-old Dexter Cabie of Velpal, Minglanilla town.
Kitchie Salado and her 20-year-old niece Sheila Mae Lota, both from barangay Cogon Ramos, Cebu City are confined at the Chong Hua Hospital in Cebu City.
Police investigator SP01 Jaime Mendoza said Salada, Heredia’s girlfriend, went to Simala Sibonga on Tuesday afternoon to visit the Birhen sa Lindogon with Lota and Lota’s boyfriend Cabie.
From there, the three went to the RPSB-7 headquarters in barangay Bahay, Sibonga to look for Heredia.
They were told that Heredia is resting at his boarding house in barangay Poblacion after being assigned to secure the presidential visit in Argao town.
Mendoza said Salado, who owned the vehicle, went to Heredia’s boarding house.
The group then left for Cebu City with Heredia as the driver.
They were heading to Salado’s condo unit in Cogon Ramos.
Mendoza said their investigation showed that the vehicle ran too fast which led them to believe that Heredia lost the brakes.
The vehicle hit the railings beside the road, rammed into a newly-built public toilet and then fell into the 10-feet ravine.
Mendoza said Heredia was breathing but unconscious when the police arrived.
Heredia died later at the Carcar District Hospital due to severe head injuries.
Cabie who also sustained head injuries, was already dead when he was pulled out of the back seat.
But the two women were conscious with Salado getting out of the vehicle.
Salado was reportedly seated at the passenger side in front while Lota and Cabie sat at the back.
Mendoza said Salado was uncooperative when interviewed at the hospital. He said Lota gave some information, but claimed she slept at the back seat.
Lota said she just realized that there was a problem when she noticed that the vehicle was zigzagging.
Mendoza said they failed to verify reports that Heredia and Salado were quarreling inside the vehicle prior to the accident.