THREE people, including two students, died in a collision involving a sports utility vehicle (SUV) and a motorcycle along the highway in Zamboanga Sibugay, the police said Saturday, July 21, 2018.

Chief Inspector Helen Galvez, Police Regional Office-Zamboanga Peninsula information officer, said the incident occurred at 4:30 p.m. Friday along the national highway at Purok Malipayon in Buluan village, Ipil town.

She identified the fatalities as Ernesto Gargar, 37, driver of the ill-fated motorcycle; and Charrize Abundo and Babymore Santa Ana, both 14 years old and students of Makilas National High School in Ipil.

Galvez said investigation showed the three were aboard a motorcycle when an SUV driven by Elias Dagoplo overtook and sideswiped them while traveling on the same direction.

The police information officer said Gargar died instantaneously as the motorcycle crashed on the pavement when he lost control of the steering bar.

Abundo and Santa Ana were rushed but failed to reach alive in the hospital, she added.

Galvez said Dagoplo, who is from Cagayan de Oro City, was detained while appropriate charges are set to be filed against him. (Bong Garcia/SunStar Philippines)