Former Sagada Mayor Pooten Jr. dies in car crash in Canada

Sagada, Mt. Province – The former mayor of Sagada was killed, along with three other people he was with, in a car accident that transpired at a rural intersection northeast of Calgary, Canada on July 26 (Canadian time).

A relative of the mayor relayed the sad news through a Facebook post the morning of Saturday, July 27.

He said former mayor James Pooten Jr., his wife, and two other relatives were on their way to Drumheller, Alberta, Canada when the incident transpired.

In a report by The Canadian Press, it said the crash involved an SUV and a semi-truck.

The police further told them that it “appears the semi hit the SUV as it was rolling through a stop sign to make a turn.”

As a result, the two vehicles ended in a ditch. The victims were killed instantly while inside the SUV.

The local government unit of Sagada already announced the demise of the municipality’s former mayor on their Facebook page.

“The Municipal Local Government of Sagada is grieved by the demise of former Mayor James B. Pooten Jr. His LGU family extends deepest condolences to his families and friends,” the local government wrote in a Facebook post.