Philadelphia

Boy and Girl Hurt After State Police Chase Ends With Multi-Vehicle Crash in Germantown

The chase began on I-76 eastbound around 4:20 p.m. Tuesday

What to Know

  • A boy and girl were both injured after a state police pursuit led to a multi-vehicle crash in Philadelphia's Germantown neighborhood.
  • The chase began on I-76 eastbound around 4:20 p.m. Tuesday. Pa. State troopers were pursuing a silver Hyundai Entourage, investigators said.
  • The boy injured his lower left leg while the girl injured her right leg. Both victims were taken to the hospital.

A boy and girl were both injured after a state police pursuit led to a multi-vehicle crash in Philadelphia's Germantown neighborhood.

The ordeal began on I-76 eastbound around 4:20 p.m. Tuesday when Pennsylvania State Police tried to pull over the driver of a silver Hyundai Entourage. The driver had a warrant out of Philadelphia, investigators said.

The driver, later identified by state police as Renaldo McPercy Robichaw, allegedly sped off and the troopers pursued.

Kahri Armstead told NBC10 he was driving back to his home when he was forced off the road by the speeding suspect.

"I just heard sirens and I looked in my rearview and I seen the van coming fast and he honked at me," Armstead said. "So I pulled over in front of the fire station and they came outside running, looking and everything and then I seen the two state troopers zoom by too."

Police said someone in the car tossed a gun out of the window of the vehicle at some point during the pursuit.

The chase ended along the 5200 block of Morris Street where the Hyundai struck a parked car which then hit 12-year-old Cory Leonard and 13-year-old Riahna Tiggett who were walking in the area at the time after getting off a SEPTA bus.

SkyForce10 showed several damaged vehicles and cars on top of each other at the scene of the crash.

"Exactly where all the mess is at, that's where I sit at, all day every day so I could've been right there," Armstead said.

Emil Duffy, another witness, told NBC10 his car was one of the vehicles struck during the chase.

"I understand that the police have a job to do and they want to catch a suspect but this kind of chase happening in a residential neighborhood at 4 o'clock on a school day, two kids got hurt," Duffy said. "It's kind of unacceptable I think."

Duffy told NBC10 he saw Tiggett after she was struck.

"She was conscious and was obviously in a lot of pain and very scared," he said.

Tiggett suffered a broken foot and other injuries.

"Once I got on the stretcher, that's when I saw everything and that's when I broke down crying," Tiggett said. "I couldn't even talk because I was so in shock."

Leonard's grandmother told NBC10 the boy suffered broken legs and a fractured pelvis. She also said the boy is only communicating with his eyes and hands at the moment.

Tiggett said she tried to shield Leonard from a car that was headed right at them during the crash.

"I just don't feel like it made sense to chase him on to the block, especially with a school right there," she said.

Pennsylvania State Police told NBC10 they will review the incident.

"Although PSP utilizes progressive training and extreme caution with regard to pursuits, regretfully, bystanders were injured," a Pennsylvania State Police spokesperson said.

State Police arrested the suspects at gunpoint. Philadelphia police recovered the weapon that was tossed out of the vehicle, investigators said.

A second person in the vehicle was identified as James Adams. He has an outstanding warrant for his arrest in Philadelphia, state police said.

A message for McPercy Robichaw's attorney in outstanding cases against him has yet to be returned. It is unclear if Adams has an attorney who could comment on his behalf.

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