48-yr.-old doctor dies after vehicle falls over bridge in Cagayan

Baggao, Cagayan - The people of Cagayan are grieving after the sudden loss of a respected doctor and servant leader in the province, who died in a tragic accident in the evening of Monday, September 15. 

Several local media outlets said it was past 8:00 p.m. that day when residents saw a four-wheel vehicle upside down at the bottom of a bridge in Sitio Sinippil, Barangay Tungel, Baggao, amid the heavy rain - it apparently fell from the bridge.

Alarmed, authorities rushed to the site and found out that the lone occupant of the vehicle was Dr. Nixon Javier Cabucana.

Cabucana, based on gathered information, is a respected orthopedic physician who received the Dangal ng Lahing Cagayano this 2025 for his community development initiatives. 

The 48-year-old was rushed to the Baggao District Hospital, but the attending physician declared him dead on arrival.

As for the cause of death, it was said that apart from the injuries the doctor sustained from the crash, the vehicle was half-submerged in the water where it landed, resulting in his drowning after he was trapped inside.

Baggao PNP Chief PLTCOL Rovelita Aglipay, according to XFM-Tuguegarao, said that the location of the accident was previously obscured by dense grass that served as a natural sign indicating the proximity of the bridge.

Unfortunately, the grass was cleared recently, which might have caused Cabucana to miscalculate that he was already close to the bridge, given that it was raining heavily at the time. 

Aside from the first possible reason, the police officer added that sand was found scattered along the bridge surface, which may have caused the vehicle to slide and lose control before plunging down. 

Currently, in-depth investigation is underway to find out the exact of cause of the tragic accident.