A police officer died after his motorcycle crashed into a truck at Barangay San Juan in Negros Occidental’s Pontevedra town early yesterday morning.

The fatality, identified as Reden Agus, 31 years old, a resident of Kabankalan City’s Barangay Hilamonan, was a personnel from the Iloilo Police Provincial Office.

Pontevedra police chief, Major Romulo Gepilango, said Agus was assigned to duty for the recently-concluded MassKara Festival in Bacolod City over the weekend.

He was returning home to Kabankalan.

Gepilango said Agus fell asleep while riding his motorcycle, which caused him to drift into the opposite lane and collided with a truck bound for Bacolod, driven by 46-year-old Sony Elet of Cauayan town’s Barangay Inayawan.

Despite wearing a helmet, Agus sustained multiple injuries, and was immediately rushed to Valladolid Hospital for treatment, but he was declared dead on arrival.

Gepilango said Agus’ exhaustion from his duty may have contributed to the incident.

An investigation is ongoing./With Jen Baylon / WDJ