CEBU CITY, Philippines, Feb. 8, 2026 — A 23-year-old businessman was killed in a tragic hit-and-run incident in Barangay Banilad shortly after midnight on Sunday. The victim, Kingston Ralph Cheng, owner of The Mill Lifestyle Café at Ayala Center Cebu, was struck by a speeding Toyota Innova while walking near a resto-bar in Maria Luisa Subdivision.

According to the Cebu City Police Office Traffic Enforcement Unit (TEU), the Innova, bearing plate number GAP-3492, was driven by 21-year-old Sean Andrew Pajarillo. Investigators said Pajarillo first crashed into a parked Toyota Vios near One Paseo but failed to stop.

 As he sped away, he hit Cheng with such force that the young entrepreneur was thrown against a utility pole. Cheng was rushed to a private hospital by a city government ambulance but was declared dead on arrival.

Police confirmed that Pajarillo lost control of the vehicle after the collision and rolled over at Paseo Eulalia. He is currently under hospital arrest, with charges of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide and damage to property being prepared. Authorities also reported that Pajarillo tested negative for alcohol consumption following the incident.

Cheng was remembered by the Cebuano community as a budding entrepreneur who founded The Mill Lifestyle Café in 2023, which quickly gained popularity for its artisan breads and pastries. He studied business at Monash Business School in Australia and was also known as a music enthusiast and violin player. Friends and colleagues mourned his passing, describing him as a promising young businessman whose life was cut short by the tragedy.

The incident has sparked grief and outrage in Cebu, with calls for stricter enforcement of traffic laws and accountability for reckless drivers. As the investigation continues, Cheng’s death serves as a painful reminder of the dangers posed by irresponsible driving and the need for greater vigilance on the city’s roads. 

One Reckless Driver, One Life Erased

Hit-and-run deaths expose how fragile public safety becomes when speed and irresponsibility meet weak deterrence. A young life can be lost in seconds, yet the consequences for reckless driving often feel delayed, negotiable, or avoidable.

This case highlights a system where accountability begins only after tragedy. Road discipline depends on enforcement that is consistent, visible, and feared, not just charges filed after someone has already died. When drivers believe they can flee, even briefly, the streets become less a shared space and more a gamble.

If a person can die on a quiet road after midnight, what does that say about how seriously society treats driving as a responsibility, not a privilege?

Image from Proud Bisaya Bai