18-year-old killed, 5 others injured after single-vehicle crash on Christopher Columbus Boulevard
1 dead, 5 injured in crash on Christopher Columbus Boulevard
A single-vehicle accident claimed the life of an 18-year-old woman and left five others injured after a packed sedan went airborne off an I-95 ramp early Friday morning.
PHILADELPHIA - Tragedy struck early Friday morning when a single-vehicle accident claimed the life of an 18-year-old woman and left five others injured after a packed sedan went airborne off an I-95 ramp in South Philadelphia.
What we know:
The fatal accident occurred around 1 a.m. when a small sedan traveling southbound exited I-95 at Washington Avenue.
Police say the vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed while attempting to make a turn. The car struck a curb, went airborne and eventually landed on its passenger side on South Christopher Columbus Boulevard.
Emergency responders extracted six people from the sedan. An 18-year-old woman who was pronounced dead at the hospital, another 18-year-old woman who remains in critical condition, a woman in her early 20s who also remains in critical condition and two 17-year-old boys in stable condition.
What we don't know:
The condition and age of the sixth occupant is still unknown, along with the identity of the deceased victim.
Dig deeper:
FOX 29's Morgan Parrish reported that the vehicle, which was completely totaled and towed away, was not designed to safely accommodate the six individuals who were crammed inside. All occupants were trapped inside the wreckage following the impact.
What's next:
Both the Philadelphia Police and Pennsylvania State Police responded to the incident, alongside state inspection teams, and remained on the scene for several hours overnight.
Investigators are currently working to determine the exact cause of the crash. Police plan to review footage from a surveillance camera located atop a traffic light on Christopher Columbus Boulevard to get a clearer picture of the event. At this time, it remains unknown whether drugs or alcohol were contributing factors.
The Source: Information from this article was provided by Philadelphia police.