ITOGON, Benguet – A 30-year old truck driver died while his helper was injured after a Baguio-bound truck of a construction company loaded with cement allegedly fell on a 300-meter deep ravine at Tapak, Ampucao, here, Thursday afternoon.
Chief Inspector Eugene Raymundo, chief of the Itogon Municipal Police Station, identified the fatality as Jessie Masda Pucay, 30, married, and resident of Labilab, Loacan, Itogon, Benguet while he named the injured truck helper as Jenar Carias Etop, 30, single, and resident of Labilab, Loacan, Itogon, Benguet.
Initial police investigation showed that the two truck occupants, who were allegedly under the influence of liquor, were travelling towards Baguio City when the driver allegedly lost control of the vehicle that caused it to fall in the said deep ravine.
The helper was able to jump out of the truck and climbed up the steep ravine to seek for help from passing motorists who rushed him to the Philex-based Sto. Nino hospital for medical treatment while rescuers were able to extricate the lifeless body of the driver after several hurs of rescue operation in the said ravine.
By Dexter A. See