A Philadelphia police officer encountered a 48-year-old man walking in the street with an unsteady gait, briefly spoke with him and drove away, leaving him lying in a traffic lane moments before another driver struck and killed him in a hit-and-run, police said Friday. The driver of the striking vehicle failed to stop and is being sought by police, while investigators also examine the officer’s conduct. The officer who first responded to the fatal crash was the same one who had left the man behind, investigators said.
The incident occurred around 1:40 a.m. Thursday on the 5500 block of Rising Sun Avenue in Philadelphia’s Olney section, according to First Deputy Commissioner John Stanford, who laid out the sequence during a news conference on Friday afternoon.
What surveillance video shows
Stanford said officers reviewed surveillance footage that captured the encounter from the beginning. The video shows the officer talking to the man from inside a police vehicle when the man falls down, ending up partially in the bike lane and partially in the lane for vehicle travel.
The officer got out of the vehicle, spoke with the man, then returned to the vehicle and drove away, Stanford said. A short time later, the footage shows another vehicle approaching the man. That driver stopped after possibly seeing something in the road, Stanford said.
Hit-and-run driver sought in Olney
A second driver then went around the stopped vehicle and struck the man, killing him, according to Stanford. The driver of that vehicle failed to stop and left the area, and police are now searching for the driver.
The striking vehicle is described as a 2023 to 2026 green Kia Sportage X9 with black and chrome rims. It was last seen turning eastbound onto Tabor Avenue.
Internal affairs investigation launched
The first officer to arrive at the scene of the fatal crash was the same officer who had driven away from the man minutes earlier, Stanford said. Investigators said that officer did not render aid and did not file a police report.
Stanford said an internal affairs investigation is now underway into the officer’s actions, alongside the hit-and-run inquiry. The officer has been removed from street duty.
“It’s troubling, and it goes against everything that we stand for,” Stanford said. “We talk about empathy. We talk about compassion as an organization, and none of those things were on display.”
Stanford said there were other passersby in the area, including one person who apparently spoke with the man after the officer drove away but before the fatal crash. Investigators are still trying to make contact with the family of the man who was killed.
Anyone with information can call or text Philadelphia police at 215-686-TIPS (8477) or submit an anonymous tip online.
What typically follows a fatal hit-and-run case
A fatal hit-and-run investigation generally involves reconstructing the scene, canvassing the surrounding area for surveillance footage, collecting witness statements and tracing the suspect vehicle through registration records and visible damage. Once a suspect is identified, the case is typically referred to local prosecutors for a charging decision.
Separately, an internal affairs review into a sworn officer’s conduct can lead to disciplinary action that runs alongside any criminal review. Internal affairs findings are generally referred through the department’s disciplinary process, while any potential criminal findings may be sent to the district attorney’s office.
Reported by 6abc.
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