Two killed in Oton road mishap

By Jennifer P. Rendon 

Two persons were killed in a vehicular incident on August 12, 2022 in Oton, Iloilo.

Police identified the victims as Pearl Ann Silva, 39, a bank employee and resident of Barangay Tagbac Sur, Oton and motorcycle rider Johnny Centra, 60, of Barangay Poblacion South, Oton.

Reports said Silva was walking on the roadside along Tagbac Sur around 5:15 a.m. Friday when she was sideswiped by an Isuzu Elf refrigerated van (license plate NEO 1911).

The truck driven by Juden Maso, 40, of Barangay Daja, Maasin, Iloilo tried to evade the woman.

Maso ended up encroaching the opposite lane and collided with a Rusi 125 motorcycle (license plate (FE 80090) driven by Centra.

Silva and Centra were rushed to Western Visayas Medical Center in Iloilo City, but both were declared dead on arrival.

Maso voluntarily surrendered immediately after the incident.

He told police investigators that he was blinded by the high-beam lights of an incoming vehicle. That’s why he failed to immediately see Silva.

The van driver is now detained and will be charged for reckless imprudence resulting in homicide.