Thursday, June 11, 2009

PHILADELPHIA — A car fleeing a robbery scene and being chased by police Wednesday night jumped a curb and crashed into a crowd, killing three young children and gravely injuring a woman, authorities said.

"It's a tragedy," police Commissioner Charles Ramsey said.

The incident in Feltonville, a neighborhood of row houses in North Philadelphia, began with two men stealing a motorcycle at gunpoint, Ramsey said. One man fled on the motorcycle, and the other fled in a car, he said.

Police spotted the car a few minutes after receiving a report of the motorcycle theft and pursued it for about a mile.

The car jumped the curb with such force it crushed the concrete steps of one of the row houses. It became wedged between a house and a pole. The woman it hit is the mother of at least one of the dead children, all of whom were under age 10, authorities said.

"It's horrifying to think about what happened," Mayor Michael Nutter said at the scene. "It's a horrific scene."

The car's driver was injured and was arrested at the scene, and the motorcycle rider was arrested at his nearby home, where several weapons were found, police said.

Officers were attacked by a dog at the motorcycle rider's home and had to shoot it but didn't kill it, said police, who recovered two shotguns and two handguns there.

Police towed away the mangled car, whose back end and roof were caved in. They didn't immediately release the names of the victims or those arrested.

From FOX News

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Too bad no street justice for these punks

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I was just watching this on the news a few min ago and heard some info that I haven't read online yet....

The mother of one of the little girls killed is deaf. She is in very critical condition because she was hit by the car too. She attempted to lift the car up off the children....and apparently the driver of the car tried to put the car in reverse to leave. Then, when that didn't work, he got out of the car and held a gun to her head!!!

The mother of one victim was critically injured

Web Produced by T.J. Alexander
PHILADELPHIA - June 11, 2009 (WPVI) -- Three children are dead and a woman is fighting for her life Thursday morning. They are the victims of a car crash, where a driver jumped a curb and plowed into a crowd of people. Authorities say the driver of the car was fleeing police.

RELATED: Chad Pradelli interviews the 11-month-old victim's grandfather.

RELATED: Photos from the scene of the deadly incident.

The sole survivor of the crash is 22-year-old Latoya Smith. She is the mother of the youngest of the victims and the aunt of a 6-year-old girl also killed in the crash. Smith was critically injured and taken to Einstein Hospital.

Smith and others were outside their Feltonville homes Wednesday night on 3rd Street enjoying the weather when the out of control car rammed them.

At a makeshift memorial a grandmother expressed her rage at the sudden death of a 7-year-old, Gina Marie. Holding up a picture of the little girl, the grandmother said, "This is what she wore for the last time."

Gina Marie was one of three children killed last night.

The chain of events that led to the carnage began blocks away with the hijacking of a motorcycle at Fisher and Rising Sun Avenue shortly before 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. The hijacker exited a silver Pontiac Grand Am, and soon police were in pursuit of the Pontiac headed south along the Roosevelt Boulevard.

The car cut left, down 3rd Street and plowed into residents at Annsbury Street.

Philadelphia Police Lt. Frank Vanore told reporters, "When that vehicle reached the 4500 block of 3rd Street, at a very high rate of speed, [it] jumped the pavement and struck four people."

Three of the victims were killed - all three victims were under the age of 10: 7-year-old Gina Marie, a 6-year-old girl, and 11-month-old Remedy Smith.

The driver of the car was also briefly hospitalized with non life-threatening injuries. Police say he was in possession of a gun.

Police also say they arrested the alleged motorcycle hijacker at a house on 8th Street. They say they also recovered four guns at that house.

The Action Cam visited the scene of the crash early Thursday morning. A memorial grows near Third and Annsbury streets where that driver hopped the curb - leaving a scarred tree and three children dead.

Family and friends are trying to come to grips with the tragedy.

In an instant Ted Canada's life changed forever. Canada's 22-year-old daughter, Latoya Smith, is now in the hospital in critical condition. His baby granddaughter, Remedy, was killed.

Despite it all Canada remains thankful. "That's all we can do is thank God. Thank God he loaned her to us for the time that he did," said Canada. "I'm gonna remember her as an angel because she was an angel... and the angel has gone home. And one good thing that I can say is she had no reason not to make it in heaven because she had no time to sin."

Canada says he is praying that his daughter Latoya pulls through.

Mayor Michal Nutter is asking the Philadelphia community to pray for the victims and their families. The mayor and Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey both rushed to the scene last night.

They were saddened and outraged. The mayor said, "It is incomprehensible what some of these people are doing out on the streets of this city. They engage in this kind of action. It's senseless."

Commissioner Ramsey followed the mayor's statement by saying, "It's just a tragedy. Again, as the mayor said, it just shows how violent some people are in the city."

Police towed away the striking vehicle Wednesday night.

Even veteran police officers called the crash scene the most horrific they have ever witnessed.

Video and article:

3 children killed by fleeing driver in Philadelphia's Feltonville | 6abc.com - 6/11/09 - Philadelphia News - 6abc.com

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There is nothing worth the taking of innocent lives - how do these punks justify the things that they do?

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UUUGGGHHHH God bless those families, and I hope to hell this murderer burns in hell!

The mom has died too

4 killed by fleeing driver in Philadelphia's Feltonville section | 6abc.com - 6/11/09 - Philadelphia News - 6abc.com

Deleted. I get too emotional about stuff like this. Sorry for the language if anyone read my previous response.

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Oh no no no no.

My heart just sank.

Very sad.

I agree with what Decent deleted.

Thats terrible, even if the mom had lived, she would have felt like she died,poor babies, i hope the courts show 0 leinency to those punks

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Ignorance is our most expensive commodity ...

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"Yes they deserve to die, and i hope they burn in hell!" - Samuel Jackson

That was a great post and I couldn't agree with you more....thank you

Police: We weren't chasing car before Philly crash - wtop.com

I guess the cop haters will have to find someone else to blame

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My give a damn is broken.

I read what you wrote, only because someone quoted you before you deleted yours. You were spot on and the language was justified.

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