A total of 19 people, including two South Korean tourists and a rookie policeman, died while 15 others were injured in separate road accidents in Bataan, North Cotabato, and Quezon provinces, police officials revealed Wednesday.

The most recent among the three separate road accidents occurred in North Cotabato at dawn Wednesday which left eight people dead and 13 others injured, said Chief Superintendent Josefino Cataluña, chief of the Central Mindanao Police.

Quoting field reports, Cataluña said an Isuzu Elf Truck (SHw-776) was travelling along a national road in Barangay Bagontapay in M'lang town when it crashed onto a tree alongside the road at around 4 a.m. Thursday.

A separate police report revealed that the vehicle fell into a ravine after hitting the tree, inflicting serious injuries on its passengers, including Barangay Kibia Matalam Chairman Harold Mondragon who was driving the car.

It said that most of the casualties came from the Mondragon family, adding that the victims were on their way to a “pamamanhikan” (local tradition wherein the groom would formally ask the parents of the bride to marry her) in South Cotabato.

“Eight of the victims died on the spot while the rest were taken to the nearby hospital in Tulunan (town),” said Cataluña.

At around 11 p.m. on Tuesday, two South Korean tourists and five others died when a Kia van hit a tricycle before figuring in a head-on collision with an approaching passenger bus at the Roman Highway in Sitio Pias, Duale, Limay, Bataan.

Superintendent Baltazar Mamaril, spokesman of the Central Luzon Police, said most of the casualties were on board the van, including Koreans Warren Shin and a certain SK Joe.

Senior Superintendent Arnold D. Gunnacao, Bataan police director, said that aside from Shin and Joe, those who died on the spot due Daisy Hermosa, Mary Rose Hermosa, Eimee Balingit, Armi M. Dionisio, and Michelle Dulatre, all employed at the D.I. Dawn Patrol Manufacturing at the Bataan Economic Zone.

Injured were Maribel Margia, who sustained head and body injuries and is semi-comatose; and Jonathan Bagtas.

Investigation conducted by the Limay Police Station disclosed that at around 10:45p.m., said the Kia van was travelling along Roman Highway, coming from the South, when it tried to overtake a Honda 155 TMX motorcycle.

However, Shin who was driving the van miscalculated and hit the motorcycle.

Out of control, the Kia van collided head-on with a Genesis Bus on the opposite lane.

In Quezon, four persons, including a rookie policeman, died in an accident involving three vehicles along Maharlika Highway in Barangay Isabang, in Lucena City.

Police identified the victims as Police Officer 1 Joaquin Trinidad III, 38, member of Quezon Ccriminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in based in Camp Nakar, Lucena City; Mark Virtucio, 34, car driver, of Barangay 7; Andrew Anat, and a still unidentified driver of a 10-wheel truck.

Superintendent Jerry Protacio, spokesman of the Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) Regional Police, said the driver of the truck died on the spot while the three others succumbed to the same injuries in a nearby hospital.

Protacio said the vehicle where Trinidad and his three companions were in was actually pinned against two cargo trucks during the incident. (With a report from Danny Estacio)