Wanted: A car like this was involved in a hit and run of a crossing guard in Oxford Circle. PHOTO: PHILADELPHIA POLICE
Philadelphia police have released new information about their search for a hit-and-run driver who struck down a crossing guard on an Oxford Circle street corner on Sept. 21. Despite social media reports to the contrary, the motorist had not been captured or identified as of Tuesday morning.
Investigators now say that the vehicle involved likely was an older model gray Ford Fusion or Focus. As a result of the incident, it would have front-end damage and traces of red paint on the front bumper. Also, the car would be missing a piece of its front bumper, which police recovered from the crash scene.
As previously reported in the Northeast Times, the incident happened at about 8:12 a.m. at Devereaux and Summerdale avenues. The victim, a 56-year-old woman, told police that she had stopped traffic to help a child cross the street when the motorist, ignoring the crossing guard’s direction, made a left turn from Devereaux onto Summerdale and almost struck the child.
The guard yelled at the driver, who stopped, shifted into reverse, ran over a median and struck the victim as she was standing on the median. The impact knocked the woman to the ground and injured her forearm, hand, knee and shoulder. Paramedics took her to a hospital in stable condition.
The motorist shifted into a forward gear and fled southbound on Summerdale, then westbound on Van Kirk Street, where his car struck a parked vehicle. The driver was described as a black man with a light complexion in his 20s wearing a white or gray baseball cap.
Police have released a photo of the actual bumper piece that was recovered from the scene, as well as stock images of cars similar to the one involved.
After the Times initially reported on the accident in its Sept. 28 editions, a social media user posted erroneously on the paper’s Facebook page that the hit-and-run driver had been arrested.
Call 215–686–3153 or dial 911 to report information about the case. ••
