Philadelphia

8-Year-Old Dies After Hit and Run in Overbrook, Family Offers $20K Reward for Arrest

Police are searching for a gray or silver Nissan Altima or Maxima

An 8-year-old Philadelphia girl has died after she was struck down by a hit-and run driver as she walked home from school Friday afternoon.

The girl, named Jayanna, was struck around 3:15 p.m. at 63rd Street and Lansdowne Avenue in the city's Overbrook neighborhood, police said.

Jayanna's family told NBC10 she and her brother were crossing 63rd Street, in the middle of the block, when the driver came speeding through the intersection to catch a yellow light.

The two were holding hands when they were hit, family said.

The force of the impact was so strong that she was thrown 20 feet, her family said. A witness said the girl's backpack also tore open, splaying paper and books all over the street.

Her brother, who hasn't been named by family, was knocked into a nearby car, the family said.

Jayanna was rushed to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia with serious injuries. She passed away around 6 p.m., police said.

Police are searching for a gray or silver Nissan Altima or Maxima with damage to the headlights and grille. The car was last seen heading southbound on 63rd Street.

Ronnie Thomas, the girl's grandfather, talked directly to the driver after his granddaughter's death saying "you should have stopped and made sure the two little kids are alright and then gone about your business."

"But you didn't do none of that. You hit them and you ran," he said. "Who does that?"

The girl's uncle said he's offering a $20,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest of the driver.

Anyone with information about the driver or whereabouts of the car is asked to call the Philadelphia Police tipline at 215.686.TIPS.

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