A SEVEN-YEAR-OLD boy was killed, while two women were injured after a car struck them along M.L. Quezon National Highway in Barangay Pusok, Lapu-Lapu City, on Tuesday afternoon, October 7, 2025.
Police said the 33-year-old driver allegedly fell asleep at the wheel. He has since been charged with reckless imprudence resulting in homicide.
Lapu-Lapu City Police Office spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Christian Torres confirmed to SunStar Cebu that the suspect, a company driver, was formally charged by the child’s father before the Traffic Enforcement Unit on October 8.
The child, who was on his way home from school, was pronounced dead upon arrival by the attending physician at the Lapu-Lapu City District Hospital.
Torres said the suspect had reportedly begun to doze off while driving and was even tapped by his manager to keep him alert.
However, by the time the suspect regained full consciousness, the vehicle was already dangerously close to a potential collision.
In a last-ditch effort to avoid hitting another vehicle, he swerved to the right, striking the three pedestrians walking along the roadside.
The two other victims, a 63-year-old senior citizen and a 41-year-old worker, are receiving treatment at two separate private hospitals in Cebu City and Mandaue City, respectively.
Torres reported the senior citizen sustained injuries to both arms and is awaiting operation, while the other victim was flung into the middle of the highway by the force of the impact and suffered a head injury, and is undergoing a CT scan.
Authorities are determining whether the two victims will proceed with filing charges against the suspect or opt for a settlement. (DPC)