Three people, including a pregnant woman and their friend who offered them a ride on the way to a hospital, were killed after a multi-purpose vehicle crashed head-on into their vehicle in Tagaytay City on Tuesday.

Five others were injured.

In a phone interview with The Daily Manila Shimbun on Thursday, Officer-In-Charge (OIC), Tagaytay Component City Police Station (CCPS) Lt Colonel Jefferson Ison said that involved in the collision which took place around 12 am on Tuesday along Bypass Road in Barangay Zambal were a multi-purpose van and a sedan.

Among the three fatalities were a woman who was three months pregnant, her husband, and the driver of the sedan, a friend of the couple, while the five injured were students on board the van.

Inson said that the van, driven by the 18-year old suspect alias "Francesco", swerved into the opposite lane and crashed head-on into an oncoming sedan resulting in the death of all passengers in the sedan.

"It was a head-to-head collision. The MPV of the students were heading from Tagaytay to Alfonso while the car of the victims came from Barangay Zambal to Tagaytay proper", Inson said.

Initial police investigation suggests that the collision was caused by "driving under influence (of alcohol)".

Three out of the five injured, including the driver of the MPV, remain in the hospital while two were already discharged on Wednesday.

The suspect will face charges of reckless imprudence resulting in multiple homicide, homicide, multiple physical injuries, and damage to properties.

On Thursday, Land Transportation Office (LTO) Chief, Assistant Secretary Vigor Mendoza II issued a show cause order against the driver as "part of the investigation and to explain his side on why he allowed a reckless driver and an improper person to drive the vehicle".

"We are also coordinating with the local police to get the necessary pieces of evidence, including an official report stating that the driver was under the influence of liquor at the time of the incident,” Mendoza added. Marie Manalili/DMS