Yet another life was tragically lost due to reckless driving last week after an unregistered motorcycle driven by an unlicensed driver lost its brakes and crashed into a parked tricycle in Bato town.
According to witnesses at the Emergency Room of the Eastern Bicol Medical Center in Virac where the three victims were brought, the mother wailed and crumpled to the floor in despair after seeing her daughter already dead.
The report of the Bato police station stated that student Errol Jay Sarmiento, 19, a resident of Cabugao, was on board a Rusi 110 motorcycle together with the 17-year-old girl from Binanuahan and Kennelyn Tarlac Traqueña, 24, of Cabugao, and traversing the national highway towards Bato población when the accident occurred at 2:35 PM of Jan. 28, 2025.
The three students were allegedly on their way to the Rural Health Unit to claim their medical certificates when suddenly the motorcycle lost its brakes as it rounded a curved portion of the road.
Sarmiento lost control of the speeding motorcycle, which slammed into a tricycle owned by Jessie Arcille that was parked beside the highway.
Video taken of the incident showed the lone fatality lying on the pavement, with blood oozing from her head, while the driver was also slumped on the pavement several meters away and trying to check on fallen backrider who was said to be his girlfriend.
Sarmiento, who sustained fractures, and the second backrider remained confined at the provincial hospital as of press time.
The police said the driver had no license while the motorcycle had no license plate attached, with its registration documents not carried.
The same report did not state if all three motorcycle riders were wearing safety helmets at the time of the accident.