LAOAG CITY — A 19-year-old motorcycle rider died while his passenger was injured after their motorcycle crashed into a parked SUV and caught fire on Padsan Bridge in Barangay 45 Tangid early Saturday morning.
Police said the crash occurred around 4:40 a.m. and involved a Yamaha Aerox ridden by Mark Ranier Laureta, 19, a Vigan City native currently residing in Barangay 13 Nuestra Señora de Natividad, Laoag City. Authorities could not confirm if Laureta had a valid driver’s license at the time.
His passenger, Jewel Mae Flores, 22, is from Barangay San Marcelino, Dingras, Ilocos Norte.
The other vehicle involved was a Nissan Patrol SUV, registered to Josefa Baltao Aquino and driven by Anthony Elo Padayao Lazaro, 39, of Barangay 11 San Fernando, San Nicolas. Lazaro holds a professional driver’s license. His passenger was Mark Christian Aday Bonifacio, 40, from Barangay 15 San Roque, Bacarra.
Initial investigation showed Laureta was traveling northbound on Padsan Bridge when he collided with the rear of the stationary Nissan Patrol parked on the eastern side of the road. The impact threw Laureta and Flores to the ground, and the motorcycle — still carrying Laureta — caught fire shortly after the crash.