MANILA, Philippines — A traffic enforcer of the Quezon City government is being hailed as a hero after he sacrificed his life to save a bicycle rider from a wayward truck on Wednesday.
Jeffrey Antolin, 35, was assisting pedestrians in crossing A. Bonifacio Avenue in Barangay Balingasa when the incident occurred at around 5:30 p.m., police said.
Closed-circuit television footage showed Antolin was run over by an Isuzu tractor head, but not before he pushed a biker to safety.
“Tinulak niya ‘yung naka-bike kaya nakaligtas,” traffic enforcer RJ Paghiligan said in an interview on GMA News.
Rescuers rushed Antolin to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
City traffic and transport management department head Dexter Cardenas said they would give an award to Antolin’s family in recognition of his heroism.
Cardenas said the local government would also shoulder Antolin’s hospital and funeral expenses.
The truck driver, Joel Dimacali, is being held on charges of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide. Police said they are validating Dimacali’s claim that he lost control of the vehicle after the brakes malfunctioned.