South Philly neighborhood doused in disgusting mess
PHILADELPHIA, PA (WTXF) - A South Philadelphia neighborhood is doused in a disgusting mess and it's all caught on surveillance cameras.
Footage shows a Philadelphia city truck spewing a sticky, oily mess on homes, cars and the sidewalk.
What's left behind is too dangerous to touch. Neighbors want to know who is going to clean it all up.
Fox 29's Chris O'Connell reported live in the South Philadelphia neighborhood Sunday night.
It's something that you would not want to come home to, the sight of an oily coating of hydraulic fluid spewed all over several houses in South Philly. We had to use rubber gloves here to show you on windows and doors.
A malfunctioning city sanitation truck caused the mess back on Thursday, and residents are still waiting for the city to help with clean up.
Angela Desidario spent the last 3 nights cleaning up her front stoop.
"It's just oily. So you know you just have to keep cleaning it to just to try to get it off," Desidario said. "I thought I was going to die. I knocked on their door like what happened here'
What happened was captured on her own surveillance system. Last Thursday, this is also trash day.
Surveillance video shows a city of Philadelphia garbage truck pull up to the 1800 block of Camac Street.
When it stops a, the back of the truck pops spraying hydraulic fluid all over cars, the sidewalk, front doors, and windows. A few seconds later, another explosion of toxic fluid sweeps the streets.
"Hydraulic fluid is like brake fluid. It's very acidic. If you get it on your skin you can burn pretty bad," Justin Delborrello said.
Several neighbors were given this accident report by the Philadelphia Streets Department. But other than spreading down some chem dry, three nights later fluid still remains caked on windows and front doors. And to make matters worse, according to a city claim form, residents may be responsible for any homeowner insurance deductibles.
Some have appointments with cleaning crews this week that could cost thousands.
"Ii feel like it's very negligent they are making it sound like it's all of our responsibility when they've done the damage," Michelle Difeliciantonio said.
After we started making calls, a Streets Department employee came out to take pictures of the damage.
A spokesman at the mayor's office says the city tries its best to quickly accommodate resident with claims-- especially when it's clearly a city liability.
That home security footage would seem to be the spraying gun that tells the story here.