Young businessman in Cebu killed in hit-and-run; suspect arrested

A 23-year-old businessman, who was walking on the side of a road in Cebu City, was killed after being hit by a speeding vehicle last Sunday, according to the report of GMA Regional TV Balitang Bisdak's Fe Marie Dumaboc on "24 Oras" Wednesday.

Before the incident, Dumaboc reported that the same driver hit a parked vehicle.

The incident was caught on CCTV, which showed that due to the force of the impact the victim was thrown onto a concrete post.

The video also showed people running to help the victim.

"May narinig akong malakas na pagsabog doon, tapos may lumabas na sasakyan na napakabilis ng takbo at hindi na huminto. Nang tingnan ko, may isang taong nakahandusay. Kaya nilapitan ko siya at nakita kong siya pala ang nabangga. Basag na ang kanyang ulo, may malubhang pinsala ito," said "Jose," one of the first people who helped the victim.

(I heard a loud explosion there, then a car came out, driving very fast and not stopping. When I looked, there was a person lying there. So I went over to him and saw that he was the one who had been hit. His head was broken, he had serious injuries.)

The driver did not stop and seemed to be going straight ahead.

Before the incident, the same SUV that was driven by the 21-year-old suspect, hit a parked car along the road.

The driver tried to escape but hit the victim instead.

The driver tried to escape again and this caused his vehicle to turn turtle.

The suspect, who according to witnesses was drunk at the time of the incident, is now under hospital arrest.

No breath analyzer

Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival said a breathalyzer test was not done on the suspect because the government does not own the equipment required to check whether a driver was intoxicated or not.

However, the liquor test that was conducted 12 hours after the incident at the hospital showed a negative result.

Road safety

There were flowers placed at the site of the accident, while the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry also expressed their sympathy to the family of the victim.

The government and concerned agencies are urged to solve the longtime problem of road safety, enforcement and infrastructure.

The suspect is facing charged of reckless imprudence resulting to homicide.

The Land Transportation Office (LTO) in Central Visayas, meanwhile, issued a show cause order against the driver.

The driver's license has also been suspended for 90 days while the vehicle is put on alarm or formal restriction.

According to the LTO, based on the initial report of the Cebu City Police Office, the driver failed to present his license and car registration. — BAP, GMA Integrated News