ILOILO – A late-night collision between two motorcycles in Barangay Mali-ao, Pavia town on Tuesday, June 25, claimed the lives of both drivers.
The victims were identified as alias “Fritz”, 26, a resident of Barangay Balabag, Santa Barbara town, and alias “June”, 36, a civil engineer assigned to AJT Builders in Jaro, Iloilo City and a resident of Barangay Amparo, Pavia.
Based on police investigation, Fritz was traveling from Santa Barbara aboard a Yamaha motorcycle when he was hit head-on by June, who was driving a Kawasaki motorcycle. The latter was reportedly traveling on the wrong lane or counterflowing, leading to the fatal crash.
“The initial cause of the accident points to human error,” said Police Major Jose Nemias Pamplona, chief of the Pavia Municipal Police Station. “June allegedly counterflowed, which led to the impact. If he had survived, he would have been facing charges of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide and damage to property.”
Both men were thrown off their motorcycles and landed hard on the pavement due to the strong impact. Neither of them was wearing a helmet, which police believe contributed to the severity of their injuries.
June was rushed to the Western Visayas Sanitarium and General Hospital in Santa Barbara and was declared dead around 9 p.m. Fritz, meanwhile, was brought to Asia Pacific Medical Center in Jaro but succumbed to his injuries at around 1 a.m. on June 26.
With both drivers dead, no criminal charges will be filed. However, Pamplona said he intends to speak with the families of both victims to encourage a respectful and peaceful dialogue.
“We want to find a win-win resolution between both parties. In situations like this where both families lost someone dear, compassion is necessary,” he added.
Police again reminded motorists to observe basic safety practices like wearing helmets and following road rules.
“This tragedy could have been avoided. We strongly urge the public to remember road safety and always wear helmets,” Pamplona said./PN
