Philadelphia

Woman Dies in Tow Truck Hit-&-Run in Northeast Philadelphia

A woman died after being run down by a tow truck along a Northeast Philadelphia street on Tuesday evening, police said. The truck then fled the scene.

The woman was hit by a speeding black tow truck along the 8100 block of State Road in the Holmesburg section of the city around 5:20 p.m., Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said. She was not crossing at the crosswalk.

Witnesses told NBC10 the 33-year-old woman was hit with such force she was thrown down the street.

"They said her body was 50 [or] 100 feet away. One minute I saw her there and she was gone," said Linda Alfonsi who was on her way home from work when the hit and run happened. The victim's cellphone and purse flew into her windshield following the impact.

"He didn't even stop, like didn't ease up on the gas or nothing," Alfonsi said fighting back tears.

Alfonsi and others tried to keep the woman warm as they waited for paramedics to arrive.

"She was very injured. She did have a pulse. She was breathing, but she was convulsing so I don't know how much we would have been able to do for her," another witness, Kathy Metellus, said.

The woman suffered severe head trauma and a possible broken neck from the impact, Small said. She was rushed to Aria Torresdale Hospital for surgery, but died just after 6:30 p.m.

Witnesses did not get a good description of the tow truck, but the vehicle is said to have front-end damage.

"We found several pieces of glass, broken glass, that we believe came from this tow truck," Small said.

Police expect to charge the driver with vehicular homicide once he is arrested, according to Small.

"Whoever the driver is knew that they hit her. You heard the impact. You heard the thump. You just know. I don't know how anybody could do that," Alfonsi said.

The Philadelphia Police Accident Investigation Division is investigating the crime.

Contact Us