Man leads Manila cops on car chase
A motorist was arrested in Manila on Thursday for allegedly leading police officers in a car chase through Tondo and Binondo, hitting as many as 15 vehicles before he was caught.
Videos posted on Facebook by motorcycle rider Jeffrey Mapalad Cerdeña showed the motorist, later identified as Clint Xerwynn Errol Fullero Kho, 35, driving a white sport utility vehicle (SUV) with plate number POQ-883 as police officers gave chase on motorcycles and patrol vehicles.
Cerdeña estimated that Kho’s SUV hit between 10 and 15 vehicles during the chase.
When Kho was stuck in traffic near a mall, a police officer armed with a gun ran and tried to stop him, according to Cerdeña.
Gunshots were heard on the video, with commuters seen leaving public utility jeepneys and fleeing the area.
The same video showed Kho’s battered vehicle taking a U-turn and speeding away, with police officers chasing on foot.
Other videos by Cerdeña showed Kho’s vehicle surrounded by police officers along a bridge and Kho in handcuffs.
According to a Manila Police District (MPD) report, Kho, a resident of Caloocan City, reportedly hit an unknown number of vehicles along Juan Luna, Recto, Dagupan, Moriones and Jose Abad Santos streets until he was cornered along Delpan Bridge at around 6 p.m.
A video from the MPD showed Kho’s vehicle with its bumper removed and its right tire damaged.
Though he reportedly tested negative for alcohol, Kho claimed he tried to escape from the police for fear of arrest because the car he was driving did not have registration documents.
The MPD, which has yet to give information on how many vehicles Kho hit, said it is planning to file a string of charges against him, including multiple counts of reckless driving resulting in damage to property.