By: Charles Nikko Limon
A truck driver died after his vehicle plunged into a ravine in Barangay Baruyen, Bangui, Ilocos Norte shortly after midnight on July 4.
It took authorities nearly nine hours to retrieve the victim’s body from the wreckage.
The 28-year-old driver was pinned inside the overturned trailer truck, which fell 40 to 65 feet down a slope along a zigzag road.
“They were on their way home to Ballesteros, Cagayan. When they reached the zigzag portion of the road going downhill, the driver likely miscalculated. The truck hit a tree, which fell, and they went straight into the ravine,” said Jerome Fabi, chief of Bangui MDRRMO.
The truck had come from Bacnotan, La Union, and was loaded with cement.
The weight of the cargo and spilled materials made the recovery effort more difficult.
“We tried everything from midnight until morning. It was dark, the slope was deep, and the truck was upside down with the wheels facing up. It was really hard to access,” Fabi said.
Heavy equipment was needed to lift the vehicle.
After hours of rescue operations, the driver was finally pulled from the wreckage but was declared dead on arrival at the hospital.
Authorities noted that the location is a known accident-prone area due to its winding and downhill terrain.
The victim’s body was turned over to a funeral home before being brought to his family in Allacapan, Cagayan.
