Girl killed, cousin injured in Lucena road accident

LUCENA CITY, Philippines – (UPDATE) A seven-year-old girl was killed and her cousin seriously injured when they were hit by a sports utility vehicle while they played on a street inside a housing subdivision in Lucena City early Thursday afternoon, police said Friday.

Police Officer 3 Rodrigo Advincula, Lucena police investigator, identified the girl as Gil Marie Umbag, a resident of Jael Subdivision in Barangay (village) Iyam.

He said that at about 2:30 p.m. Russel Fallaria was driving his Nissan Xtrail Wagon on his way home in the same subdivision when he “failed to notice” the girl, who was playing with her cousin Clerek Daleon, 7, on the right side of the street. It was not immediately clear how or why the driver failed to see the children.

Advincula said residents claimed the driver was busy with his cell phone when he hit the children but Fallaria denied the allegation.

“He insisted that he just failed to notice the children, who were digging at the roadside,” advincula said. He noted that the SUV’s windshield was heavily tinted and it would be hard to see the driver from outside, unless the windows were rolled down.

After the girl was knocked down, the vehicle’s right rear wheel ran over the girl, Advincula said. Daleon, who was holding his cousin’s hand at the time they were bumped, was dragged away a few meters, he added.

Advincula said Fallaria rushed the victims to the Lucena United Doctors Hospital but the girl was declared dead on arrival. Daleon sustained various injuries and was still confimed at the hospital on Friday.

Fallaria voluntarily surrendered to the police and was now detained at the Lucena police station.