A man believed to be in his 30s was killed in a violent single-vehicle crash on Frankford Avenue in Philadelphia's Torresdale neighborhood early Friday, after police say his SUV was flying down the street before slamming into a line of parked cars.
The wreck scattered mangled metal and debris across the 9400 block of Frankford Avenue near Pearson Avenue, snarling the quiet Northeast corridor for hours. Crews worked through the night to clear the destroyed vehicles and reopen the street to traffic.
Philadelphia Police Capt. Christopher Bradshaw told CBS News Philadelphia that the gray Kia SUV was moving at an “extremely high rate of speed” just before 1 a.m. when it plowed into several parked cars. The driver, described only as a man in his 30s, was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators spent the early morning hours combing through the crushed remains of the SUV, and the road was back open around 6 a.m., according to the station.
Scene and response
Bradshaw said the violence of the impact was so severe that the vehicle’s engine was hurled into the middle of the roadway, and the occupant was thrown to the rear of the SUV.
“One of the worst crashes I’ve seen in my career,” Bradshaw told CBS News Philadelphia, underscoring just how hard the SUV appeared to be moving before it hit.
Investigation and tips
The cause of the crash remains under investigation by the Philadelphia Police Department’s Crash Investigation Unit. Detectives are asking anyone who might have witnessed the collision or captured it on camera to come forward.
The department’s Crash Investigation Division can be reached at 215-685-3180, and anonymous tips can be submitted to the PPD tipline at 215-686-TIPS (8477), according to the Philadelphia Police Department.
Where it fits in citywide safety plans
Frankford Avenue is one of several corridors targeted for safety upgrades as part of a $13 million PennDOT traffic safety investment announced this week. State officials have said roughly $5 million of that pot will go toward multimodal and traffic calming improvements along Frankford, including efforts to expand automated speed enforcement coverage and pay for intersection and corridor upgrades, according to $13 million to calm Philly’s wildest streets.
The deadly wreck is a stark reminder of how unforgiving high speed can be on neighborhood streets. Police say they expect to release more details as the investigation moves forward and are again urging anyone with information or footage to contact the Crash Investigation Division or the PPD tipline.
