CALASIAO, Pangasinan — A tragic highway accident claimed the lives of two elderly passengers over the weekend after a driver’s brief lapse in alertness sent a family vehicle careening off the road.A sport utility vehicle (SUV) plunged down an embankment and into a creek along the national highway in Badoc, Ilocos Norte.
The fatal incident occurred at approximately 6:25 p.m. on Friday, June 12, 2026, resulting in immediate casualties and leaving five other passengers hospitalized.
According to Capt. Elison Pasamonte, officer-in-charge of the Badoc Municipal Police Station, local traffic investigators have pinpointed fatigue as the primary catalyst behind the crash:
[ THE BADOC ROAD TRAFFIC ACCIDENT ANATOMY ]
│
┌────────────────────────────────────┴────────────────────────────────────┐
▼ ▼
[ MICROSLEEP AT THE WHEEL ] [ THE 10-FOOT PLUNGE ]
• **The Admission:** The 69-year-old driver, a resident of • **Swerving Off Course:** The sudden loss of steering control
Lagangilang, Abra, admitted to investigators that he briefly fell • sent the Toyota Fortuner veering sharply into the opposite
asleep while operating the vehicle. • oncoming lane.
• **Loss of Control:** Fatigued from travel, the driver completely • **Ravine Drop:** The SUV broke past the highway perimeter and
lost structural control of the vehicle along the highway segment. • plunged roughly 10 feet down into an underlying creek bed.
First responders from the local municipal disaster team and municipal police rushed to the scene to extract the passengers trapped inside the crumpled vehicle. The impact had varying consequences for those on board:
[ VEHICLE PASSENGER INJURY REGISTRY ] │ ▼[ The Fatalities ] ──► Two elderly passengers sustained catastrophic impact injuries from the 10-foot drop and were pronounced dead, failing to survive the rescue extraction. │ ▼[ The Driver ] ──► The 69-year-old operator survived the initial plunge but sustained moderate to severe impact trauma across his upper torso. │ ▼[ The Passengers ] ──► Four other traveling companions sustained varied physical trauma and remain confined for active observation across separate regional medical facilities.
Badoc police officials confirmed that all seven occupants of the vehicle originally hailed from Lagangilang, Abra, and were traversing the Ilocos Region corridor when the crash transpired.
Following the vehicle extraction, Capt. Pasamonte issued a strong public warning to long-haul motorists passing through provincial expressways and national lines, reminding drivers to strictly utilize designated roadside pit stops or change operators the moment physical exhaustion or drowsiness sets in. Local authorities are continuing their routine documentation of the site while the remaining survivors recover in the hospital.