2 Boys, Ages 7 And 9, Killed After Ejected From Vehicle In Juniata Park Crash
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Two young boys were killed after a two-car crash in Philadelphia's Juniata Park section overnight. Police say the second vehicle involved in the crash attempted to flee the scene, but the driver was arrested and is facing multiple charges.
The crash happened at the intersection of Kensington and East Hunting Park Avenues, around 12:42 a.m. Sunday. Investigators say a white BMW that was heading northbound on Kensington Avenue struck the vehicle the children were in.
The children, ages 7 and 9, were ejected from the car and killed. Both were rushed to St. Christopher's Hospital for Children where they were pronounced dead. The 7-year-old boy died of head injuries and the 9-year-old boy died of blunt force trauma.
The children's parents, a 28-year-old woman and a 34-year-old man, were also in the car and injured. Police say the mother suffered a spinal fracture and lacerations to the face. She is listed in stable condition
The father sustained facial lacerations but refused treatment to go be with his two children at the hospital.
A woman who lives near the scene described what she saw.
"I heard that loud boom, that alarm clock that we always get at 12 or one in the night, and it shakes up our whole building. My thought was, here we go again. When I came outside, I see the kids being ejected out the back window. By the time I got to the front of the vehicle, the kids were gone, they was on the pavement. They were gone, no pulse, no nothing. So first thing the mom said is 'my kids,'" resident Shirley Davila said.
Davila, who lives near the scene, said she's been out every weekend cleaning up debris from crashes.
"Our kids, our kids. It hurts, you know? It really hurts," Davila said. "Every weekend, we're coming out to help people in the community that are crashing or just innocent people."
Davila says she will petition the city to put speed cameras or speed bumps at the intersection, but until that happens, she says she'll be out there doing the only thing she can do -- pleading with people to slow down.
"As you can see, speeding. All morning I've been out here slow down, slow down," Davila said. "Please slow down."
Police say two men in the BMW tried to escape after the crash but didn't get far due to the car's mechanical condition. They then fled on foot but were later stopped by police. That driver is facing several charges, including two counts of third-degree murder.
It is not clear if the driver was under the influence.
