Motorcycle accident kills 5-year-old

BADOC, Ilocos Norte — A five-year-old child died while a 22-year-old motorcycle driver was injured in a traffic accident along the national highway near Badoc Bridge, Barangay Lubigan, authorities reported.

Police said personnel from the Badoc Municipal Police Station responded at around 11:45 a.m. on 4 March after receiving reports of the crash. Initial investigation revealed that an orange-and-white Honda Sonic 150R, traveling northbound, was carrying the driver and the child passenger, both members of the Badjao community residing in Mabusag, Badoc.

Investigators said the motorcycle was reportedly traveling at a high speed when the driver lost control of the handlebars near Badoc Bridge, causing the vehicle to collide with the bridge railing and a warning sign. Both the driver and child were thrown from the motorcycle, sustaining severe head and body injuries.

The driver was transported by ambulance to Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center in Batac City for treatment, while the child was pronounced dead on arrival at the Badoc Rural Health Unit.

The motorcycle sustained damage and was impounded at the Badoc Municipal Police Station for safekeeping. The child’s father claimed the body, following Badjao tradition, which requires immediate burial and customary rites.