MARAMAG, BUKIDNON — A tragic, high-speed rear-end collision along the Sayre Highway on Monday afternoon, July 27, 2026 claimed the lives of three people—including a three-year-old boy—leaving a local community in deep mourning and raising fresh concerns over highway safety.
The incident unfolded around 2:40 PM in Sitio Purok 2-B, Barangay Panadtalan, within the municipality of Maramag. According to initial investigations by the Maramag Municipal Police Station, a blue Honda XRM motorcycle and a brown Toyota Avanza multi-purpose vehicle were both traveling southbound in the middle lane of the highway.
The motorcycle, driven by a 33-year-old man with his three-year-old son riding as a passenger, activated its signal and began making a slow right turn toward Purok 2-B. Moments later, the speeding Toyota Avanza, coming from Don Carlos town toward Valencia City, violently slammed into the rear of the motorcycle.
The sheer force of the high-speed impact launched the father and his toddler approximately 40 meters from the initial collision point. The out-of-control Avanza then veered wildly off the highway, striking roadside coconut trees 14 meters away, before rolling an additional 24 meters and crashing heavily into concrete roadside barriers.
First responders rushed to the scene to find both vehicles crumpled beyond recognition. The 33-year-old motorcycle driver, his toddler son, and a male passenger riding inside the Toyota Avanza sustained catastrophic injuries. All three were rushed to the Bukidnon Provincial Hospital (BPH)–Maramag, where they were tragically declared dead on arrival by the attending physician.
A female passenger from the Avanza survived the crash but remains admitted at BPH-Maramag for ongoing medical treatment. The 67-year-old male driver of the Avanza and another passenger were initially trapped inside the wreckage before being extricated by rescue teams.
In a controversial turn of events, the elderly driver of the Avanza fled the scene immediately following the fatal crash. However, after several hours on the run, he surrendered to the Don Carlos Municipal Police Station.
The driver was subsequently turned over to the Maramag Municipal Police Station, where he remains in custody. Authorities confirmed he is facing serious criminal charges, including reckless imprudence resulting in multiple homicide and damage to property.
As the investigation continues, local residents are calling for stricter speed limit enforcement along the Sayre Highway, a major arterial route notorious for high-speed vehicular accidents.
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