A 16-year-old boy died from injuries he suffered when he fell from the hood of a moving car in Mayfair last Friday night, authorities say.
Philadelphia police did not disclose the victim’s identity or why they believe he was on top of the car. Police revealed some details of the incident in an email to the news media on Saturday night as they were attempting to identify the driver involved. They described the car only as “a small white vehicle.” On Sunday afternoon, police said that they had located both the car and the driver.
The episode unfolded on Levick Street between Frankford and Harbison avenues. At about 11:15 p.m., a witness saw the teenager climb on top of the car, which was stopped on the 3200 block of Levick. The boy remained on top of the vehicle as it proceeded west, but he fell off on the 2900 block of Levick. The car left the scene. Initially, police said they didn’t know if the victim knew the motorist or if he had approached a random car. Officers from the nearby 15th Police District found the boy lying unconscious, but breathing in the street. He was taken to Aria Health’s Frankford Campus then transferred to Aria’s Torresdale Campus, where he died at 5:10 p.m. on Saturday. Police did not specify his injuries.
In Sunday’s update, police said that they had identified and located the driver, but no criminal charges had been filed. The case remains under investigation. Witnesses are asked to call police at 215–685–3180. ••
