Cebu City police are investigating two separate traffic incidents that happened over the weekend, including a fatal crash involving an allegedly intoxicated driver and a viral road-rage confrontation in which a driver was seen wielding what appeared to be a knife.
In the fatal crash, 27-year-old bar worker Criza Jean Concha was killed while her 56-year-old American live-in partner, John Charles Livingstone, was injured after a white Toyota Fortuner struck them along General Maxilom Avenue in Barangay Cogon Ramos at around 2:21 a.m. on September 21.
Cebu City Government CCTV footage showed the SUV veering into the opposite lane before hitting the couple, who were walking toward the Fuente Osmeña area. Police said the vehicle briefly stopped after the collision before leaving the scene and eventually stopping near the Fuente Osmeña rotunda.
Concha was rushed to Cebu City Medical Center but was declared dead on arrival. Livingstone was also taken to the hospital for treatment.
Police identified the driver as 26-year-old Ralph Anthony Go. He was later arrested and tested positive for alcohol using a breath analyzer. Authorities said he could face charges of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide and physical injuries, along with a violation of Republic Act 10586, or the Anti-Drunk and Drugged Driving Act of 2013.
The Cebu City Police Office Traffic Enforcement Unit has also requested action from the Land Transportation Office, including the possible revocation of the driver’s license and an alarm on the vehicle’s plate number.
Separately, police are investigating a road-rage incident on Escario Street in Barangay Kamputhaw at around 8 p.m. on September 20.
The confrontation reportedly began after a pickup truck driver attempted to overtake a motorcycle rider. Police said the motorcycle rider allegedly did not give way, prompting the pickup driver to get out of his vehicle.
A video that later circulated online showed the confrontation escalating, with the pickup driver appearing to pull out a bladed weapon and move toward the motorcycle rider. The other motorist was seen using his helmet while attempting to get away as bystanders and other motorists tried to intervene. Police are still determining whether the object was actually a knife.
The two parties reportedly reached an amicable settlement at the barangay level. However, police said the settlement does not automatically end the investigation if authorities determine that an offense may have been committed.
Cebu City police are considering possible charges, including alarm and scandal, while continuing to review the video and other evidence.
The Land Transportation Office Region VII has also taken administrative action. LTO-7 issued a show-cause order against the registered owner and designated driver of the Mitsubishi Triton allegedly involved in the road-rage incident.
The driver was ordered to surrender his license and placed under a 90-day preventive suspension while the investigation proceeds. The vehicle was also placed under alarm.
The LTO said the driver must explain why he should not be held administratively liable as an “improper person to operate a motor vehicle” under the applicable provisions of Republic Act 4136, as amended.
The two incidents are separate cases, but both have renewed attention on dangerous driving behavior in Cebu City — from alleged intoxicated driving resulting in a death to a road dispute that escalated into an apparent weapon confrontation.
Police and transportation authorities are now examining the evidence in both cases, with the fatal crash moving toward criminal charges and the road-rage incident facing both police and administrative scrutiny.
