Court Date for Drivers Accused in Racing Deaths of Mom, Tots

Two men allegedly racing when a woman and her two sons were struck and killed crossing a Philadelphia roadway are in court for a hearing on murder charges.

Both 23-year-old Khusen "Hass" Akhmedov of Lancaster and 30-year-old Ahmen Holloman of Philadelphia are charged in the July deaths of Samara Banks and three of her four children.

Banks, 28, and children were trying to cross the Roosevelt Boulevard near 2nd Street in the Feltonville section of Philadelphia that Tuesday night.

Banks was making her way across the busy highway with her 7-month-old Saamir Williams, 23-month-old Saa-sean Williams, 4-year-old Saa-deem Griffin and 5-year-old Saa-yon Griffin, when a 2012 Audi allegedly driven by Akhmedov hit them.

Only Saa-Yon, who was 5, survived.

This morning, a witness testified that she saw the cars racing just before the crash, then stopped to help afterward.

Akhmedov and Holloman are charged with four counts of homicide by vehicle, third-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter as well as reckless endangerment, aggravated assault, simple assault and aggravated assault by vehicle.

The 12-lane roadway divides a neighborhood and is notorious for crashes involving pedestrians.

Court records say Akhmedov was out on bail in a federal ambulance fraud case, and had prior tickets for speeding and driving on a suspended license.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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