A driver was arrested for crashing through a roadblock and hitting a radio taxi, injuring the cabbie and a female passenger while the driver’s male friend who was in the car attempted to conceal the car’s escape route, Public Security Police (PSP) spokesman Leong Chi Seng said at a press briefing on Wednesday.
The driver and his friend were arrested on Sunday.
The two suspects are a 26-year-old local public relations staff member surnamed Ng who drove the car and a 27-year-old salesman surnamed Alabaso – the driver’s friend.
According to Leong, traffic police officers set up a roadblock in Estrada do Arco early Sunday. When the officers ordered a car to stop for inspection, the car suddenly accelerated, crashing through the roadblock and hitting a cab before speeding away. The male cabbie and a female passenger were injured and rushed to hospital. The car headed towards Ilha Verde, Leong said.
Thanks to CCTV footage, the Public Security Police were able to identify the two men and intercepted Ng in Areia Preta on the same day. Ng told the police that he spent the night with his friend in a hotel in Zape and drove him home afterwards. He told the police that he did not drink and the car was borrowed from a friend. As he did not have a driving licence he decided to drive through the roadblock. He claimed that he did not realise that he had hit the cab. PSP officers intercepted Alabaso later that day. He told the police he only knew that Ng crashed through the roadblock and tried to hide his escape route, according to Leong.
Leong said PSP officers later discovered that Ng has a police record with four previous offences of driving without a licence and for dangerous driving on the wrong side of the road.
The suspects were transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) on Wednesday. Ng faces charges of causing bodily harm due to negligence, dangerous driving, disobeying a police order and evading responsibility while Alabaso faces a charge of aiding and abetting the perpetration of an offence, according to Leong.
This undated handout photo provided by the Public Security Police (PSP) on Wednesday shows the two suspects escorted by PSP officers to the Traffic Police Department.
