Philadelphia police are searching for the driver who blew through a red light at S. Broad Street and Oregon Avenue late Monday night, striking and killing a 72-year-old woman in a South Philly crosswalk. Officers arrived just after 11:30 p.m. to find the woman unresponsive; she was rushed to a nearby hospital, where she was later pronounced dead. Witnesses, along with nearby surveillance cameras, captured the aftermath of the violent collision, leaving neighbors shaken.
Investigators later tracked down a vehicle they believe was involved to the 2700 block of Northview Street in Northeast Philadelphia, according to 6abc. At the crash site, police collected broken car parts, including what they believe is a headlight lens. As of Tuesday morning, the search for the missing driver was still very much active.
Intersection flagged in city safety plan
The section of Broad Street that includes Oregon Avenue is already on the city’s radar. It is part of Philadelphia’s Vision Zero High Injury Network, the initiative that focuses on the 12 percent of streets where most serious crashes occur, according to the city’s Vision Zero Action Plan. City officials have targeted stretches of Broad Street for safety upgrades, including median islands, tweaked signal timing and other pedestrian-focused improvements aimed at cutting down on deadly crashes.
Police: video shows SUV ran the red light
Chief Inspector Scott Small said video shows the woman was walking in a marked crosswalk and “had the green light” when a light-colored SUV heading west on Oregon Avenue ran the red and slammed into her. The impact was so extreme it knocked her out of her sneakers and hurled her roughly 100 feet, and the driver took off before officers arrived, according to 6abc.
Detectives are asking anyone with dash-cam, surveillance or cellphone video from the area to contact Philadelphia police with tips. Authorities have not yet released the victim’s name, and investigators say the case remains under active investigation.
