It was a scene straight from Grand Theft Auto.
Like an action sequence from the popular video game, a road chase triggered by a car driver cited for a parking violation damaged several vehicles, endangered the lives of pedestrians and caused standstill traffic at the Rockwell commercial area in Makati City on Friday afternoon.
The police said it all started when 28-year-old Jamie Camille Brojan was approached by Rockwell security personnel for illegally parking her yellow Kia Picanto (EG 5100) along Amorsolo Drive around 5:40 p.m.
Instead of facing them, Brojan tried to flee and set off a chase that ended more than an hour later in neighboring Barangay Poblacion. The driver, a resident of San Juan City, was arrested around 7 p.m. by members of Makati Police Community Precinct (PCP) 6.
But before she was cornered, Brojan hit and damaged her pursuers’ motorcycles and a barangay service vehicle. She also sideswiped several parked and moving vehicles along Kalayaan Avenue.
Four Rockwell security personnel—Marlon de Paz, Joel Bustamante, Jigo Baldelamar and Bryan Taping of Southbend Security and Investigative Services Inc.—appeared at PCP 6 shortly past midnight on Saturday to report their injuries and the damage they incurred.
(Video courtesy of Helen de Terry-Glorioso)
They could file complaints for reckless imprudence resulting in physical injuries, but decided not to press charges after Brojan agreed to shoulder their medical expenses, according to the precinct commander, Senior Insp. Oliver Benaldo.
Brojan apparently panicked as she thought she would be mobbed by the Rockwell guards, Benaldo told the Inquirer.
The driver appeared “normal” when brought to the precinct, the officer said when told of online comments raising suspicions she was high on drugs.
A video posted on Facebook by Kitt Lapeña, who was walking along Rockwell Drive at the time of the incident, caught the moment Brojan’s car was blocked by one of the Rockwell guards. Brojan then drove in reverse toward Lopez Drive where she could have hit pedestrians and bikers.
When one of the security personnel caught up with Brojan and tapped the rear of the car, Brojan alighted and screamed: “How dare you hit my car! Do you have a license?”
(Video courtesy of Kitt Lapeña)
One of the security men was later seen kicking Brojan’s car, which at that point was again blocked by a motorcycle, while a third guard pounded the car’s window.
Brojan, who agreed to pay for other damaged Rockwell property, was released from police custody around 2 a.m. Saturday, Benaldo said.
She also agreed to pay P20,000 for hitting the gate of Barangay Poblacion and a tricycle used by village watchmen, according to Barangay Bantay Bayan officer Honrado Pascual.
Mayor Abby Binay ordered the city engineering and public works departments to check for other damaged public property. -Dexter Cabalza
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