A stolen utility truck barreled through a red light and tore onto the playground outside S. Weir Mitchell Elementary in Southwest Philadelphia on Tuesday afternoon, flipping on its side and leaving a trail of wrecked cars while a yard full of students somehow walked away unharmed. One driver was taken to the hospital, but roughly 10 to 15 children playing outside at the time were not injured, according to school staff. Witnesses said the truck rolled after slamming into multiple vehicles at the intersection of 55th Street and Kingsessing Avenue, as a crossing guard and school employees yanked kids out of the way and police rushed in.
Surveillance video captures stolen truck blowing red light
Surveillance footage obtained by CBS Philadelphia shows the white work truck blasting through a red light, crashing into a Subaru, then vaulting onto the Mitchell Elementary schoolyard at 55th Street and Kingsessing Avenue. The outlet reported that the Subaru driver was taken to a hospital and that police quickly took the person behind the wheel of the stolen truck into custody. Authorities told the station the crash happened at about 2:30 p.m.
Witnesses describe chaos at busy Southwest Philly corner
According to 6abc, the truck slammed into at least three vehicles before overturning, turning a routine afternoon dismissal into a frightening pileup. The truck’s owner told the station the vehicle had been stolen only a few blocks away. A person was trapped in one of the cars after the collision, 6abc reported, and rescue crews had to work to pull them free while investigators fanned out across the intersection.
SkyForce video shows truck on its side in schoolyard
From above, NBC10’s SkyForce camera captured the aftermath: the white utility truck on its side, surrounded by crumpled vehicles and clusters of children and adults crowding the edges of the schoolyard. The station noted that S. Weir Mitchell Elementary sits at 5500 Kingsessing Avenue. NBC10 Philadelphia reported that emergency crews were already on scene shortly before 3 p.m. and that officials had not yet released a complete accounting of injuries.
Kids escape injury as crossing guard pulls them to safety
An official at Mitchell Elementary told CBS Philadelphia that roughly 10 to 15 students were on the playground when the truck came crashing through, and none of them were hurt. A crossing guard, describing the surreal scene, told the station, “It was crazy like the ‘Matrix,’” and recounted dragging children away from the wreckage as first responders pulled up.
Investigation continues as charges considered
Police say the driver of the stolen truck is in custody, and investigators are still working to determine what charges that person might face. As of the latest local reports, no charging decisions had been announced. In the meantime, school staff and city crews secured the crash scene so students could be dismissed safely while officers finished collecting evidence at the intersection.
