Philly PD search for driver in deadly Olney hit-and-run, officer taken off street duty
Philly officer under investigation for failing to help man in fatal hit-and-run
A 48-year-old man was killed in a hit-and-run in Olney, and a Philadelphia Police officer has been removed from street duty, after the department said the officer failed to help the man who was killed.
PHILADELPHIA - Police are searching for a driver who hit and killed a 48-year-old man in Olney overnight Thursday, and a Philadelphia Police officer has been pulled from street duty after the department said he failed to help the man who was killed.
What we know:
The department said the incident began when an officer interacted with the man, who was seen walking unsteadily in the bike lane on Rising Sun Avenue near Olney Avenue around 1 a.m.
Surveillance video from a nearby business, Roxette Hair Salon, shows the victim before the officer arrived.
According to First Deputy Commissioner John Stanford, the officer was present as the man later fell to the ground, remaining in the bike lane and partially in another lane.
"And the officer leaves that location with the victim still observed in the video laying in the street," said Stanford.
Why you should care:
Authorities are seeking a 2023-2026 Kia Sportage X-Line in Jungle Green. Police say after the officer left, a vehicle stopped, possibly to observe the man, before another vehicle drove around it, entered the bike lane, and hit the victim.
"The vehicle that’s behind that first car goes around that first vehicle, ultimately driving into the bike lane and driving over that male victim. That vehicle continues to drive without stopping," said Stanford.
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Philadelphia officer failed to help hit-and-run victim before and after deadly crash: police
Investigators are searching for a hit-and-run driver after a man was fatally struck moments after falling into the road during an encounter with a Philadelphia police officer who did not provide help, authorities announced on Friday.
According to police, the same officer later returned when the call came in about the hit-and-run, but did not render aid, file a report, or operate according to protocol.
Police department reaction and internal investigation
The other side:
First Deputy Commissioner Stanford addressed the incident, saying, "It’s really important, I think, to each of us, not just as leadership of this organization but personally, to stand in front of you and tell you when we got it wrong. And this is one of those times. Again, it’s disappointing. It’s embarrassing to be very honest."
Stanford added, "It goes against everything that we stand for. We talk about empathy, we talk about compassion as an organization and none of those things were on display."
The backstory:
The officer involved has served for two years, according to police, but authorities have not released his name.
Police described the victim as a 48-year-old black man. The incident occurred after 1:00 a.m. on Thursday on the 5500 block of Rising Sun Avenue.
The medical examiner informed police of the victim’s death later that morning, triggering an investigation and a review of area surveillance.
What we don't know:
Authorities have not released the name of the officer or the victim. Police are still searching for the hit-and-run driver and encourage anyone with information to call them. Both the circumstances of the hit-and-run and the officer’s actions remain under investigation.
The Source: Information in this story is from a Philadelphia Police Department press release, a press conference held by the department on Friday, Aug. 28, and surveillance video from Roxette Hair Salon, near the scene of the deadly collision.