A teenager and woman are dead after a high-speed crash that may have involved alcohol in Northeast Philadelphia’s Tacony neighborhood, police said.
The crash near Cottman and Torresdale avenues happened around 2:45 a.m. Sunday, when a speeding Chevrolet Malibu ran a red light and was T-boned by a Nissan Maxima, which had the right of way, Philadelphia Police Department Capt. Mark Overwise said.
Two men were in the Chevrolet and four women were in the Nissan when the cars collided, ejecting all but one person, Overwise said.
The women are all in their late 20s to early 30s, the captain said. One of them, Ciara Parker, died at the scene, while the male passenger of the Chevrolet – 18-year-old Rashaan Cole – later died at a hospital.
The cars collided with such force that one car was flung toward a school near the intersection and flipped onto its hood. At least one of the cars struck and broke a utility pole, with debris strewn on the street.
Both men in the Chevrolet were taken to Jefferson Torresdale Hospital, Overwise said. The three injured women, including the driver and the car owner who was riding in the back, were taken to other area hospitals with various injuries.
The Chevrolet driver, 27-year-old Nehamiah Carstarphen, broke his arm in the crash and remained hospitalized Monday, police said. He was Cole's uncle.
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Carstarphen was charged with homicide by vehicle, DUI, aggravated assault and related charges, police said. He is expected to be arraigned from his hospital bed.
It is unclear if he has an attorney who could comment on his behalf.
Carstarphen passed at least one other car on Torresdale prior to the crash, investigators said. Video shows some of the incident.
"From the video it was evident that it was a high rate of speed," Overwise.
Editor's Note (Sunday, Dec. 15, 2019 at 12:30 p.m.): This story was updated to reflect that the male passenger of the Chevrolet Malibu later died of his injures.
