Drunk, dangerous driver still smiling when arrested

Niño San Gabriel is finally subdued after a chase by the Quezon City police on Tuesday night. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

A motorist faces multiple charges when he tried to flee after ramming his vehicle repeatedly into a UV Express van and running over two motorcycles on Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City on Tuesday night.

Policemen shot several times at the tires of the sport utility vehicle driven by Niño San Gabriel, a 39-year-old contractor, in an attempt to stop him.

They finally caught him after a chase that ended around 350 meters from where it started.

Interviewed by reporters on Wednesday, a smiling San Gabriel refused to say anything at first, but later apologized profusely for his actions, saying he was drunk.

At press time, he remains in the custody of the Quezon City Police District, which was set to charge him with reckless driving resulting in multiple damage to property and drunk driving.

San Gabriel also faces charges for resistance and disobedience to persons of authority, grave threats and discharge of firearms.

A report to Chief Supt. Guillermo Eleazar, QCPD director, said that around 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday, UV Express van driver, Benjamen dela Cruz, was ferrying passengers when a white Nissan Patrol (NOY 330) driven by San Gabriel rammed into the back of his vehicle.

Instead of stopping, the suspect sped off, with Dela Cruz chasing him. Dela Cruz managed to block San Gabriel’s path but the latter again rammed the UV Express van before fleeing.

At this point, the commotion attracted the attention of other motorists and beat patrol policemen. Among them were two motorcyclists: Richard Ventura, a member of the Quezon City Anti-Crime Advocates, and rescue volunteer Gaius Oliver Uy, who blocked San Gabriel’s path.

A video posted on Facebook by one of the UV Express passengers showed San Gabriel’s SUV being blocked by other vehicles while caught in traffic. But as traffic eased on Commonwealth, he sped off once more, running over Ventura and Uy’s motorcycles.

The chase ended on Holy Spirit Street after policemen hit one of the Nissan Patrol’s tires. Seized from the suspect were .38-cal. and .40-cal. pistols and ammunition. The police are verifying if the guns are licensed.