A soldier was killed while three others were injured early Monday after two motorcycles they were riding were sideswiped by a bus along the Maharlika Highway in Lopez town, Quezon province.
According to a police report, a Goldtrans bus driven by a man identified only as ‘Robert’ was negotiating a stretch of the highway in Barangay Talolong around 12:10 a.m. when it accidentally hit two motorcycles carrying four riders.
The motorcyclists, identified only as ‘Nico’ and ‘Erwin,’ reportedly lost control of their vehicles after the impact. They and their back riders, ‘Emer’ and ‘Reynaldo,’ were thrown off their motorcycles and landed on the pavement.
All four victims-soldiers assigned to the Philippine Army’s 85th Infantry Battalion-were rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment. Nico, however, was declared dead on arrival, police said.
The report did not mention whether the victims were wearing helmets as required under the Motorcycle Helmet Act of 2009. It also noted that Erwin’s motorcycle had no license plate.
The bus driver fled the scene and remains at large as police continue their manhunt