Three Korean nationals, two males and one female, and one local were injured after a zigzagging van slammed straight into an incoming sports utility vehicle (SUV) in Cortes town on Sunday afternoon.

The three Koreans who were onboard a Hyundai Sta. Fe were rushed to the Ace Medical Center while the driver of the van was taken to the Governor Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital in Tagbilaran City following the collision, said Lt. Roy Susvilla, chief of the Cortes police Station.

The victims were identified as Kang Shinguen, the driver of the SUV, Han Dongim and Jeong Taek Lee, all temporary residents of Alburquerque town, and Rainerio Corona, 59, of Barangay Salvador Cortes who was driving the van.

According to Susvilla, Corona appeared to have been drunk as he was repeatedly swerving as he sped towards a multicab and the ill-fated SUV which were both at the opposite lane.

Susvilla said that Reinero’s van first bumped the multicab before slamming straight into the SUV in Upper Dele Paz in Cortes at 2:50 p.m.

“Nakita-an sa vehicle three [multicab] na ang vehicle one [van] nag-zigzag unya fast approaching siya iyang nabantayan pud na kusog kaayo ang aso gikan sa muffler mura’g gitamakan og maayo ning accelerator mao nagtuo siya na ang driver adto naka-inom g’yud,” he added.  

Police and rescue personnel were immediately deployed to the scene following the collision including TaRSIER 117 and municipal health authorities who rushed the victims to the hospitals.

Susvilla said that Bohol Provincial Police Office director Col. Jonathan Cabal himself also called him to look into the incident.

The Korean nationals who only suffered minor injuries were discharged from the hospital on the same day as the incident while Corona who suffered head injuries was still being treated at the GCGMH as of Monday morning. (A. Doydora)