Joy Adalia
After the video of a hit-and-run incident at Bonifacio Global City, Taguig involving a Toyota Innova went viral, thousands of netizens were angered by the driver’s actions. Based on initial reports, the Innova hit a motorcycle and then hit another one as the driver tried to get away.
In a follow-up post on Top Gear Philippines who had been the first to report the incident, it turns out that the first motorcycle was not hit by the Innova. This was revealed by the motorcycle driver, Alcatel-Lucent director Vijay Nagale, an Indian expatriate.
In a statement, Nagale clarified, “First of all, I would like to correct the report that I was hit by the Innova. I wasn’t hit by the Innova, because the moment I saw that it was about to hit me, I let go of my bike, which slid and hit the front part of the vehicle.”
Although he was not directly hit by the Innova, he did get injured from jumping off his motorcycle.
“I ride a Kymco scooter to my office in Makati because I do not want to deal with traffic in a car. I am familiar with that intersection near the Mini showroom, and I’m able to time exactly when the traffic light turns green. I’m usually ahead of the pack of motorcycles because I ride a 300cc scooter,” Nagalex explained. “As I crossed the intersection, I saw a cab about to turn left, but I knew it couldn’t do so until it was their turn. When I passed the cab, I suddenly saw the Innova coming in my direction, so I just let go of my motorbike.”
So, why was he trying to confront the Innova driver? Well, that was not really the case. He revealed, “All I wanted was for the driver to get out of the vehicle and help me lift my motorcycle, as I had a hard time doing so because of the injury. I wasn’t really looking to file a formal complaint or whatever. I’m a foreigner here, and I don’t really want any trouble.”
The Innova driver turned out to be 53-year-old Edgardo Hurna who panicked as this was the first time to be involved in an accident. Supposedly, it was just a “knee-jerk” reaction. Hurna works for lawyer Haydee Chavez as a family driver.
Chavez told Top Gear Philippines, “After seeing the video, we immediately went to the police station with the vehicle and our driver to report the incident. We are willing to face the consequences of what happened, and settle with the motorcycle rider.”
Both parties are working on an amicable settlement.
So, there you have it, folks. That is how it really happened. Still, the issue wouldn’t have gotten bigger if only Hurna did not try to run away.
Watch the incident again:
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