A hit-and-run crash left two children dead after they were flung from the vehicle they were riding in Sunday morning in North Philadelphia, police said.
The two children, boys 7 and 9 years old, were riding in a car with their parents when another vehicle hit them around 12:30 a.m. near the intersection of Hunting Park and Kensington avenues in the Juniata Park neighborhood, Philadelphia Police Department Sgt. Eric Gripp said.
The force caused the kids to be ejected from their car, killing them. Both were pronounced dead at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children.
On Monday, family members identified the boys by their first names: Kariel and Jaciel.
Shirley Davila said she went outside after she heard a loud boom and felt her apartment shake. Once outside, she said she saw the children on the ground and saw their mother shout, “My kids,” before dropping to the ground.
Davila said the intersection is known to be dangerous, with crashes happening frequently due to speeding drivers.
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“It’s sad because our kids are our future and nowadays we’re just losing them to nonsense,” she said.
The man who caused the crash and his passenger ran away before being arrested about half a mile away, police said. The boys' dad sustained cuts to the face but refused medical service so he could make it to the hospital with his kids, while the mother sustained a fractured spine and facial cuts, Gripp said.
Police did not immediately say what led to the crash but were investigating whether the children were wearing seat belts at the time.
The man who crashed into the family was charged with multiple counts of third-degree murder, homicide by vehicle, involuntary manslaughter and related charges.
