A motorcycle rider who was a basketball player lies on the ground after being a victim of a hit-and-run incident near the Redemptorist Church in Cebu City. | Contributed photo via Paul Lauro
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Police in Cebu City revealed on Friday, February 9, 2024, that the hit-and-run incident that killed 23-year-old Jeslar Uriel Larumbe was a case of road rage with the suspect really intending to hit the victim with his vehicle.
The suspect was identified as Aaron Karl Tan, the owner of the gray sports utility vehicle (SUV) that matched the vehicle seen in the closed-circuit television footage of the incident.
Tan previously denied all accusations against him in front of the media.
READ: ‘Hit-and-run’ suspect claims that he was not the driver — police
Police, however, gathered CCTV footage and testimonies from three eyewitnesses that implicated him as the person responsible for Larumbe’s untimely demise.
Dalogdog said that Larumbe came from an establishment in Barangay Lahug, Cebu City while Tan was coming from an area in Ayala on early Sunday morning, February 4.
READ: Jeslar Uriel Larumbe: Hit-and-run victim was an MVP on and off the court
The two, heading in different directions, met at an intersection along the Gorordo Avenue Corner F. Sotto Drive.
When the traffic light turned green at the intersection, Tan proceeded along the road.
However, his SUV was hit by the motorcycle of Larumbe, who allegedly ran a red light.
After this, Tan chased after Larumbe in a fit of rage with the intention to hit him as well.
READ: Hit-and-run: Spotlight shines on reckless driving, victims
When they reached along the Queens Road, Tan allegedly tried to overtake Larumbe to block his way.
This caused the local basketball player to lose control of his motorcycle and fall down hitting his head on the rear bumper of Tan’s vehicle.
According to Dalogdog, an witness saw the whole thing starting from the incident at the intersection.
The witness also positively identified Tan as the driver after seeing him from the open car window.
It was also found that the sirens and blinkers of the vehicle were only turned on after the two vehicles collided at the intersection.
READ: How to prevent road rage: Drivers say patience, knowledge of safety rules are important
Dalogdog said that the witness chased after Tan’s vehicle and called out to him to ask why he left behind the victim.
The gray SUV, however, did not stop.
According to Dalogdog, they recovered CCTV footage that showed Tan passing by the Osmeña Fuente Circle at around 6:08 a.m.
At 6:38 a.m., the SUV was seen along the B. Rodriguez Street.
He was then seen heading to Cabajar Street in Barangay Guadalupe where he usually parked his car.
Dalogdog further disclosed that another witness saw Tan himself getting out of the car at this time.
READ: Road rage: Deadly encounters that can be avoided
After receiving information from concerned citizens, police found Tan’s SUV, which fit the vehicle they were looking for, parked near his residence.
Tan, who insisted that he was innocent, voluntarily gave his SUV to police and expressed that he did not use the vehicle on that weekend.
Authorities, however, disclosed that Tan made several inconsistent statements when talking to police.
After finding that Tan had an intention to hit Larumbe’s motorcycle, police filed charges of murder against him on Thursday, February 8, at the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office.
READ: Police continue to gather evidence on Larumbe hit-and-run case
As of this writing, Tan remains free while police are waiting for a warrant of arrest to be issued against him.
Dalogdog explained that they followed a regular filing instead of conducting a hot-pursuit in order to not rush the investigation.
He said that this was done as advised by the victim’s parents and legal counsels to ensure an air-tight case against Tan.
To prevent him from leaving the city during this process, Dalogdog added that they had coordinated with their partner agencies and requested for a hold departure order on Tan.
READ: Road courtesy: the best way to avoid road rage