The children and widow of a 52-year-old Filipino man killed last week after being struck by an SUV off of Airport Road are preparing to return home to bury him.

Today would have been Delfin Pastrana Santiago’s 53rd birthday. Santiago, a mechanic who worked for Qatar Airways, was killed instantly last Wednesday from a head injury caused by an out-of-control vehicle.

Speaking to Doha News, daughter Maria Santiago said she and her family are planning to fly home tomorrow (early Christmas morning) to hold the funeral.

She said she plans to return to Qatar next month, as the legal case against the man who struck her father is ongoing. She added that the driver, a Pakistani expat in a government vehicle, remains in police custody.

Online reaction

News of the accident, in which several others were also injured, spread far and wide after photos of an SUV on top of another SUV went viral on Facebook, Twitter and other social media.

In some of the pictures, Santiago can be seen laying on the concrete and not moving, as first responders attend to the scene. Witnesses have reported varying accounts about what happened, and police are still investigating the accident.

The Gulf Times adds that Filipinos in the country have been advised “to be watchful and cautious in crossing the roads or walking in the streets.”

Thoughts?