20-Year-Old Student Dies After Detached Bus Engine Cover Hits Him in Atimonan
A 20-year-old college student was killed after the engine compartment cover of a passing passenger bus detached and struck him while he was waiting for a ride in Atimonan, Quezon, early Thursday, November 5, 2026.
According to the ABS-CBN News report published November 6, 2026 at 3:54 p.m., the incident happened around 12:15 a.m. along Maharlika Highway in Barangay Tagbakin, in front of a fast-food restaurant, based on the investigation of the Atimonan Municipal Police Station.
Police said the right side of the bus’s engine compartment cover suddenly opened and came off as the vehicle passed. The detached cover hit the student, who was standing by the roadside waiting for a Manila-bound bus, and threw him several meters away. He sustained severe injuries and was rushed to Doña Marta Hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.
Philstar Pang-Masa, in a November 7 report, identified the victim by the alias “Toto” and said the bus driver, identified as Mando, 56, of Barangay Angeles, Atimonan, Quezon, is in police custody and faces a complaint for reckless imprudence resulting in homicide.
Atimonan Police chief Maj. Allan Hernandez said the driver claimed he did not notice that the cover was open while heading to Manila. “Nahagip po, nakalimutan ng driver na naka-open ’yung estribo nila. Wala, hindi daw niya napansin na naka-open ’yung estribo niya. Pero dapat nakita niya ‘yun habang tumatakbo,” Hernandez told ABS-CBN News.
Inquirer Southern Luzon likewise reported that Quezon police confirmed the roadside wait along Barangay Tagbakin and that rescuers brought the victim to the nearest hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival.
ABS-CBN News noted this was the second fatal case in Quezon involving a bus compartment cover that came loose. Last month, a man jogging in Guinayangan was also killed after being struck by a detached bus compartment cover.
Authorities are continuing their investigation while the driver remains in custody facing the reckless imprudence resulting in homicide complaint.
