Truck kills motorcycle rider

By Glazyl Y.  Masculino

BACOLOD City – A motorcycle rider died after he was run over by a 10-wheeler truck loaded with sugarcane along the highway of Barangay Blumentritt, Murcia, Negros Occidental last Wednesday.

The fatality was Andrie Ditching, 21, of the said village.

Police Corporal Virgil Sedimo, traffic investigator of Murcia Municipal Police Station, said that Ditching was tailing two trucks loaded with sugarcane when he overtook them. He then returned to his lane when he saw a parked car from afar.

However, Ditching hit a towbar, which was connected to a malfunctioned truck driven by Larry Salamatin, 58, of Silay City, that was being pulled by another truck driven by Espiridon Albancis, 58, of Murcia town.

Sedimo said that Ditching probably failed to notice the towbar, as he was allegedly speeding.

Ditching was not wearing a helmet, according to Sedimo. He was declared dead on arrival at Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital here.

Sedimo said that both truck drivers are now under police custody, pending a possible settlement with the victim’s family, or the filing of charges.