CAMP GEN. ALEJO SANTOS, Bulacan–Three Korean nationals and their two Filipino companions were killed in a head-on-collision in Baliwag town early dawn on Wednesday.
Bulacan police director Col. Relly Arnedo identified the victims as Miseon Kim, 22; Park Misoone, 57; and Jinoh Kim, 62 all Korean nationals and Araceli De Guzman, 63 and Melchor Bulandos, 55, both from Talavera, Nueva Ecija.
They were rushed to Baliwag District Hospital but died two hours later while undergoing treatment. Their two companions identified as Geraldine Capinlac, 50 and Theresa Adio, 43 are still being treated in Bulacan Medical Center in the City of Malolos.
Based on police investigation, Bulandos was driving a colored white Toyota Fortuner registered as AYA-9888 and traversing the south bound lane of DRT Highway in Sabang, Baliwag from Ulingao, San Rafael town at around 2 a.m. when upon reaching Cedar Ville area, it suddenly swerved to the opposite lane and collided with a Sino Tractor Head Truck going to Ulingao San Rafael.
Baliwag Chief of Police Col. Julius Alvaro said that Miseon and Jinoh were father and son and that together with their fellow Korean companion, they were headed to Metro Manila to catch a plane at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) for their flight back home to Korea.
Alvaro said they recovered the passports of the foreigners in the Toyota Fortuner whose front side was in total wreck because of the strong impact of the collision.
He said the Koreans rented the Toyota Fortuner owned by the family of the victims from Talavera, Nueva Ecija who are also their friends.
According to Alvaro they are still investigating whether the driver could have fallen asleep or it was a mechanical defect that could have caused the Fortuner to swerve to the opposite lane and collided with the truck.
PJ Calma, 34, driver of the truck with plate number NEG-7896 said the Fortunner was travelling at a speed and had earlier been swerving towards his direction.
He said he already signaled the Fortuner but was not given attention by the driver. Calma was arrested by the police and is now detained at Baliwag City jail.
