A female passenger sustained head and facial injuries after the SUV she was riding in crashed into the gate of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Hospital early Saturday morning.
The incident occurred around 2:31 a.m. CCTV footage showed the SUV speeding as it turned from Lacson Avenue onto Dapitan Avenue before slamming into the gate.
According to Barangay 470 Sangguniang Kabataan chairperson Emanuel Zamora, who responded to the scene, the victim was thrown from the back seat into the windshield.
A delivery rider, identified as Macoy Legarda, was captured on barangay CCTV rushing to help the victim.
“I didn’t hesitate, I picked her up and carried her to the hospital right there,” Legarda recounted. “Her face was shattered, her mouth and forehead were bloody… I kept telling her, ‘Don’t close your eyes, don’t close your eyes.’”
The SUV driver reportedly claimed the accident was caused by someone crossing the road. However, Zamora said a review of the CCTV footage contradicted the driver’s claim.
“When we reviewed the CCTV, he was alone,” Zamora said. “According to the CCTV, he overshot the turn. Coming from Lacson, that part is an elevated ramp, and of course, the driver had been drinking, so when he went up the ramp, he must have steered too far to the left.”
Zamora added that the driver appeared to be under the influence of alcohol. “Even if he won’t admit it, sir, he smelled of liquor,” the official stated.
The driver and three other passengers of the SUV were reportedly unhurt. The driver is now in police custody as an investigation into the crash continues.