American national arrested for fatal hit-and-run in Alcantara

[Mike J]

Not just one hit-and-run, but two different events, one of which caused a death.  Road rage, medical issue, or an instance of someone who should not have been driving do to age?   In any case a real tragedy and black eye for expats who live here in Moalboal.

https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/506214/american-national-arrested-for-fatal-hit-and-run-in-alcantara

CEBU CITY, Philippines – Police in Alcantara town in southwestern Cebu confirmed arresting a foreigner accused in a hit-and-run that claimed the life of a tri-sikad driver.

The suspect was identified as Kerry Lee Hemphill, an American national residing in Moalboal, the neighboring municipality of Alcantara.

Hemphill will be facing charges of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide and physical injuries, said Police Captain Annaliza Comaling, chief of the Alcantara Police Station.

The foreigner was involved in two hit-and-run incidents while speeding down the national highway in Alcantara on Tuesday evening, May 23, one of which turned out to be fatal, said Comaling.

Initial investigations showed that the first instance happened in Brgy. Polo in which Hemphill’s sports utility vehicle (SUV) hit a 70-year-old biker, identified as Alfredo Sabanal.

The suspect, however, fled the scene and left Sabanal on the road, said Comaling. Sabanal is still confined in a public hospital to recuperate from the severe injuries he sustained, the police official added.

A few minutes after hitting Sabanal, Hemphill hit another motorist.

He just reached Brgy. Poblacion, situated around one kilometer north of Brgy. Polo, when he hit another motorist, a tri-sikad driver identified as Jerry Timtim. Unfortunately, the victim died.

Similar to the previous incident, the foreigner left the tri-sikad driver on the road. Timtim, 53, was rushed to a hospital but physicians there declared him dead on arrival.

Investigators at Alcantara Police Station managed to trace down Hemphill’s identity, which eventually led to his arrest, with the help of witnesses and closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage.

Hemphill was arrested in Ronda, the town that borders Alcantara in the north.

The American national reportedly told police that he left the two victims out of fright.

Alcantara is a fifth-class municipality located approximately 95 kilometers southwest of Cebu

 

[Kingpin]

Not even mentioning a sobriety test says a lot about laws and their enforcement here.

[gbmmbg]

I hate to admit it but Kerry is my brother in law. It's so sad he took someone's life and did not stop to help.

[Gator]

54 minutes ago, Kingpin said:

Not even mentioning a sobriety test says a lot about laws and their enforcement here.

Not sure about the laws here, but you can’t arrest someone or do sobriety exercises for a DUI unless the police officer witnesses him driving or in what’s called “actual physical control of a motor vehicle”. Basically since he made it home, and the police didn’t chase him there, he’s safe from getting a DUI  

Obviously he was still in the wrong and he never should have left the scene of the first crash. Had he stayed the other guy would still be alive. I suspect after the first crash he was in panic mode from the first crash and driving like an idiot on steroids when the second one occurred. Am sure we will never know the full details though. Only that as Mike J pointed out - it was a tragedy and makes all foreigners look bad. 

[Possum]

I might be able to understand the first incident. Maybe he didn't think the guy was injured badly and knew he was in for a world of hurt as a foreigner if he stopped.. Foreigners routinely get little objective "due process" in the Philippines. But the second accident? That is not understandable at all.

[hk blues]

4 hours ago, gbmmbg said:

I hate to admit it but Kerry is my brother in law. It's so sad he took someone's life and did not stop to help.

Kudos for your post. 

[hk blues]

4 hours ago, Gator said:

Not sure about the laws here, but you can’t arrest someone or do sobriety exercises for a DUI unless the police officer witnesses him driving or in what’s called “actual physical control of a motor vehicle”. Basically since he made it home, and the police didn’t chase him there, he’s safe from getting a DUI  

Obviously he was still in the wrong and he never should have left the scene of the first crash. Had he stayed the other guy would still be alive. I suspect after the first crash he was in panic mode from the first crash and driving like an idiot on steroids when the second one occurred. Am sure we will never know the full details though. Only that as Mike J pointed out - it was a tragedy and makes all foreigners look bad. 

Same in the UK although we don't have a sobriety test as such rather a more sophisticated breathalyser test followed up by blood test if necessary.  If the driver has left the scene then it's hard work to prove drink driving as they can claim they had a drink at home to calm their nerves, for example.

[Jack Peterson]

17 minutes ago, hk blues said:

If the driver has left the scene then it's hard work to prove drink driving as they can claim they had a drink at home to calm their nerves, for example.

 That used to be the case BUT now they can do trace back and deduce at what level of Alcohol  was in the blood at around the time of an incident, It happened to my Brother quite a few years ago 

 

 For those interested********************https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/alcohol-back-calculation-for-road-traffic-investigations******

Edited May 25, 2023 by Jack Peterson

[hk blues]

59 minutes ago, Jack Peterson said:

 That used to be the case BUT now they can do trace back and deduce at what level of Alcohol  was in the blood at around the time of an incident, It happened to my Brother quite a few years ago 

 

 For those interested********************https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/alcohol-back-calculation-for-road-traffic-investigations******

Understood but I was more thinking of the scenario where the driver lives nearby and this can muddy the waters.  

[Jack Peterson]

1 minute ago, hk blues said:

Understood but I was more thinking of the scenario where the driver lives nearby and this can muddy the waters.  

 Science is science My friend