Driver blinded by bright headlights; senior citizen dies in Rizal crash
A 70-year-old woman died after being struck by a passenger jeepney, whose driver was allegedly blinded by the bright lights of an oncoming vehicle, in Pililla, Rizal, on Wednesday, June 17.
The Rizal Police Provincial Office (Rizal PPO) said the incident occurred around 5 a.m. while the jeepney was traveling along the Pakil–Jalajala Road in Barangay Niogan, heading toward Tanay, Rizal.
Upon reaching the scene, the 22-year-old driver was reportedly blinded by the bright headlights of an oncoming vehicle traveling in the opposite direction.
Authorities said the driver believed he was about to collide with another vehicle, so he swerved to the left side of the road. At that moment, he struck the victim, who was about to cross on the other side of the road.
The victim was immediately rushed to a hospital by personnel from the Pililla Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO), together with duty police officers from Sector 2, but she was declared dead on arrival.
The driver is currently in the custody of the Pililla Municipal Police Station and may face charges for reckless imprudence resulting in homicide.