Family of female back-rider killed in Cebu crash undecided on charges

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The family of the 28-year-old female back-rider killed along S. Osmeña Boulevard in Cebu City has yet to decide whether to pursue charges against the truck driver, who remains in police custody as of Saturday, August 15.

In an interview on Saturday, the Traffic Enforcement Unit (TEU) of the Cebu City Police Office said the family is still dealing with the death and has not yet made a decision.

The truck driver and the owner of the commercial truck have already begun communicating with the victim’s family. The truck driver has likewise been in talks with the truck owner, according to the TEU.

Authorities, however, said that they could proceed with filing a case if the victim’s family decides to pursue one.

Victim was reportedly on her way to work

The 28-year-old woman was reportedly on her way to work when the crash happened on Friday morning, August 14.

The 64-year-old motorcycle driver told police that he was supposed to bring her to Pier 3 for work.

“Padulong unta mi ditos Pier 3, unya ning lugar mi. Tapos kanang sakyanan, kanang sakyanan nga nakasangki nako, ni-overtake na siya. Nidirtso og sira kay ni-overtake man iyahang sakyanan. Maong naigo akoang siko. Mao tong nisaliri ang motor,” the motorcycle driver said.

(We were supposed to head over there to Pier 3, then we passed by this place. Then that truck clipped me. It overtook us. That’s why my elbow got hit. That’s why my motorcycle slipped.)

He said he did not personally know the woman before the incident. According to him, they had only spoken on Monday, August 10, when she asked for his number so she could contact him to pick her up regularly and bring her to her destination.

Female back-rider killed after collision

The collision occurred at around 9:01 a.m. along S. Osmeña Boulevard in Barangay Mabolo.

According to the TEU’s subsequent report, both vehicles were traveling along the middle lane toward Robinsons Galleria, with the motorcycle slightly ahead of the commercial truck.

The motorcycle slightly swerved to the left while remaining within its lane as the truck was overtaking and occupying both middle lanes, the report said.

The right side of the truck then collided with the left side of the motorcycle, throwing both the 64-year-old driver and his passenger onto the road.

The woman went underneath the truck and was run over by its right rear tire.

She was brought to the Cebu City Medical Center, where she was declared dead on arrival by the attending physician.

Truck driver liable

The TEU said investigators reviewed statements from both drivers, CCTV footage from the Cebu City Transportation Office’s Eagle’s Eye, and dashcam footage provided by the truck driver in reconstructing the collision.

Based on the subsequent police report, the TEU said the truck driver failed to observe safe precautions and prudent driving under Section 48 of the Land Transportation and Traffic Code, which covers reckless driving.

Following the incident, the truck driver remains detained as the victim’s family continues to weigh whether to pursue charges.

Disclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of Cebudailynews. We reserve the right to exclude comments that we deem to be inconsistent with our editorial standards.