Philadelphia police are currently investigating an officer who is alleged to have failed in assisting a man lying in the street, who was subsequently hit and killed by a vehicle. The incident occurred at approximately 1:45 a.m. on Thursday on the 5500 block of Rising Sun Avenue in Olney, according to Philadelphia Police First Deputy Commissioner John M. Stanford during a Friday afternoon press conference.
Stanford mentioned that police were only made aware of the crash later on Thursday morning when the medical examiner sought further information. Surveillance footage obtained by CBS News Philadelphia shows the officer leaving the man on the ground before the fatal incident.
The footage reveals the victim walking unsteadily in the bike lane on Rising Sun Avenue. A police officer, driving by at the time, pulled over to speak to the man. After a brief interaction, the officer returned to his vehicle and drove away while the victim remained on the road. The man fell and lay partially in the bike lane and partially in the traffic lane.
The police officer pulled his car in front of the victim and got out to speak with him. The officer then went back to his vehicle and drove away while the victim was still lying in the road.– Commissioner Stanford
A civilian witness also spoke briefly with the victim before walking away. As one car stopped, potentially avoiding the victim, another vehicle, a green 2023-26 Kia Sportage, hit the man while driving through the bike lane. The driver continued eastbound on Tabor Avenue, fleeing the scene.
Two witnesses moved the victim to safety and dialed 911. Medics arrived and transported the victim to a nearby hospital, where he was declared deceased. The police are appealing to the public for assistance in locating the vehicle and driver involved.
In response to this incident, the officer involved, who first spoke to the victim and was among the initial responders, has been reassigned to administrative duty. The officer is accused of not securing the scene, initiating a report, or providing medical aid to the victim. Stanford remarked on the troubling nature of the officer’s conduct.
That 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, and that’s a troubling piece for us from the very beginning of this incident.– Commissioner Stanford
An internal investigation into the officer’s actions has commenced alongside the ongoing probe into the crash. The officer, assigned to the 35th District, has two years of experience on the force. Neither the victim’s nor the officer’s names have been made public.