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Three Filipino senior citizens were killed in a fiery car crash on Wednesday when a wrong-way driver collided with their truck on a highway in Sacramento, California.
The fatalities were identified as Nick Bacareza, Pete Rivera and Antonio Kilayko. The Filipino men were reportedly in their 70s, and all were Stockton residents.
The crash happened just before 2:30 a.m. on Wednesday along Highway 50 near Stockton Boulevard in Sacramento, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Officials said the driver of a Toyota Prius, said to be a young woman who also died in the crash, drove the wrong direction on the highway and collided with the truck carrying the Filipino men.
A toxicology report on the driver is expected later this week.
The Pinoys were reportedly headed home after hanging out at Red Hawk Casino in Placer County.
The truck reportedly burst into flames after the crash.
The three Filipino men, including the wrong-way driver, were all declared dead on the scene.
Monette Gallarde knew Kilayko for about three decades. She said the Filipino community in Stockton is devastated by this tragedy.
“When I found out about the accident, it was really very shocking for all of us, for myself too. I was very sad. You don’t own your life. The next day, you’re gone. One day, you’re talking with each other. The next day, you’re gone forever. So it’s very, very sad,” she said. (Read more from Balitang America.)
This article has been re-published with permission from ABS-CBNnews.com.
