Boy rammed

2-year-old dead on the spot after hit by armored vehicle

A LIFELESS body of a two-year old boy covered with newspaper was lying on the side of a pedestrian lane after he was rammed by a security agency armored vehicle yesterday morning along San Pedro Street, Barangay 3-A, Davao City.

Also seen near the cadaver of the victim who was identified as Loviege Pangantihon was a street food he was carrying while he and his mother named Angeli Pelaez were crossing the pedestrian lane.

Based on initial investigation, Police Officer (PO3) Khrist Mark Manulat, the Traffic investigator

of San Pedro Police, said they received the report about 11:20 a.m. and the incident happened about 11 a.m..

“They were crossing the pedestrian lane from Jollibee to Chowking food court when the victim was accidentally hit and rolled over the right front wheel of the armored van resulting to his instantaneous death having sustained fatal injury in his head,” he said.

In their interview with the mother, they used pedestrian to go to the other side. They already noticed that there was a vehicle approaching. The mother was still holding her child who was ahead of her and suddenly her child was already underneath the vehicle with his head crushed.

“According sa witness, ang bata kauban iyang mama nagtabok ni sila sa may pedestrian so karon niagi ning armour sa Dasia mao to ang bata nasulod sa ilalom sa armor (A witness said that the child was with the mother when they crossed the pedestrian lane when a Dasia armored vehicle passed and hit the child),” he said.

The incident has likewise triggered major traffic congestion at the junction of nearby C.M. Recto Street after San Pedro Street, where the accident transpired, was closed temporarily.

The police investigator said that they have not seen skid marks that could indicate if a vehicle’s speed is within normal level. As part of the investigation, they will also look into the Close Circuit Television (CCTV) footage to give light to the be enlightened on the incident since there were conflicting versions of the incident.

But the video of the incident went viral online. It showed that the vehicle was moving slow while waiting for the mother and the kid to finally cross. The mother was initially holding his son but the child suddenly let go of her hand and backtracked without noticing the armored car. Due to limited view, the driver didn’t see the child.

He further identified the driver as Gregorio A. Vito. Jr, 23, a resident of Phase 3 Monte Maria Dakak St., Davao City which appeared on his driver’s license. He’s been driving for three years.

It took an hour before the driver was able to disembark from the vehicle with apprehensions that he might be ganged up by the people who were waiting and angry at him for the incident, calling him irresponsible driver. Instead, they just made a convoy with the police officer going to the police station.

In an interview with the driver, he denied that he sped up as he said that it was a pedestrian lane so he slowed down. He admitted that he saw the people traversing but he did not notice that there was kid who was stuck underneath his vehicle.

“Wala ko kabantay sir. Dili tinood sir nga kusog ang padagan kay naay nitabok una, pedestrian gud na sir minor gyud ka ana sir. Nakabantay gani ko kay nakagawas nako sa pedestrian wala ko nagdahom nga ing-ato ang mahitabo (I went slow because it was a pedestrian lane. I didn't expect the incident would happen),” he said, adding that he only knew that there was rammed a kid when the armour alarmed.

He also asked forgiveness from the family of the victim.

Should there be formal complaint; the driver will be facing reckless imprudence resulting to homicide.

Authorities, meanwhile, advised drivers of vehicles to be alert and slow down especially when they are approaching a pedestrian lane.

The cadaver of the victim was brought to Angel Funeral Homes.