A 37-year-old woman from Clifton Heights is in critical condition after a hit-and-run on I-95 in Philadelphia on Wednesday night, following a separate crash that had already disabled her car in the roadway. Police say the woman had been driving a red Chrysler 300C southbound near the Walt Whitman Bridge exit when a single-vehicle crash left her car disabled in the left lane. When she stepped out to check the damage, a passing vehicle struck her and threw her into the middle-right lane. The driver who hit her kept going south on I-95 without stopping. The highway was shut down for a time while crews worked the scene, and the victim was rushed to a nearby hospital in critical condition.
State Police Trace Late-Night Chain of Events
According to NBC10 Philadelphia, the crash sequence started around 10:36 p.m., when the 37-year-old driver lost control, hit the median and came to rest in the left lane of I-95 southbound. State police told reporters she got out of the Chrysler to inspect the damage, at which point another vehicle struck her and continued south without stopping.
Investigators said they did not have an immediate description of the fleeing vehicle or its driver, and the investigation remains active.
Crash Scene Near Walt Whitman Bridge Exit
As 6abc reports, officers found the woman lying on the roadway at mile marker 19.1, near the Walt Whitman Bridge/Packer Avenue exit. She was taken to Jefferson Hospital in critical condition.
Pennsylvania State Police and PennDOT temporarily closed all southbound lanes of I-95 in the area while crews documented the scene and cleared the highway.
Hit-and-Run Crashes Keep Climbing Nationally
Hit-and-run crashes have been climbing across the country, a trend that traffic safety researchers say is hard to ignore. A recent analysis by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found fatal hit-and-run crashes have reached record levels, with pedestrians and cyclists making up a disproportionately large share of victims.
The Governors Highway Safety Association notes that roughly one in four pedestrian deaths involves a hit-and-run driver. Those national numbers help explain why investigators repeatedly urge anyone who witnessed a crash or has dash-cam video to step up, even if they think what they saw was minor.
What Pennsylvania Law Requires Drivers To Do
Under Pennsylvania law, any driver involved in a crash that causes injury is required to stop, remain at the scene and render aid. Leaving without doing so is a crime that can be charged as a felony if the victim suffers serious bodily injury or death. The statute governing accidents involving injury or death, as published by Justia, outlines specific penalties and mandatory minimums for drivers who flee.
State police are asking anyone with information to contact the Pennsylvania State Police Criminal Investigation Unit at 215-452-5216, according to NBC10 Philadelphia. Investigators said they are reviewing available footage and following up on tips as the case moves forward.
