Four persons sustained injuries in a head-on collision of two motorcycles at an intersection in Capilihan, Virac last May 15, 2023, with one of them reportedly needing further treatment in a mainland hospital.
The official police report said that two of the victims, Jam and Ric, were on board a motorcycle, with two minors as backriders, on their way to sitio Mislagan that afternoon when they crashed into the oncoming motorcycle driven by Ry.
Residents of the barangay, then celebrating its fiesta, immediately responded to the incident, with those injured taken to the hospital.
In a statement, police chief Maj. Robert Kevin Caparroso advised motorists to be defensive drivers and observe carefully when crossing intersections.
A reliable source identified the seriously injured traffic aide as Ryan Mancanes Talaro, 35, a resident of Capilihan, and driver of the red Honda XRM motorcycle (683 EBH).
The other motorcycle was a black Rusi scooter without plate number driven by James Espinas Suarez, 20, a construction worker from Cavinitan. He was unable to present a driver’s license or the registration documents of the motorcycle when asked by the police.
His companion was identified as Rica Claire Leizel Idanan, 21, a student from Baras town, while the two minors with them were not named.
The barangay’s CCTV footage of the incident shows Suarez and his three backriders’ vehicle encroaching on the left lane as they turned left on the intersection, right on the path of Talaro’s motorcycle.
The impact threw both motorcycles and their occupants on the pavement, with the two drivers and Idanan motionless on the ground while the two minors were able to get up.
All five individuals were not wearing safety helmets at the time of the incident.