The Philadelphia Police Department is investigating an officer who officials say failed to help a 48-year-old man lying in the street shortly before the man was killed in a hit-and-run. According to First Deputy Commissioner John M. Stanford, the officer encountered the man on the 5500 block of Rising Sun Avenue and drove away while he was still on the ground in the roadway.
The incident occurred around 1:45 a.m. on a Thursday in the Olney neighborhood. Surveillance video obtained by CBS News Philadelphia shows the man walking with an unsteady gait in a bike lane before falling. The footage shows the officer pulling over, getting out to speak with the man, and then returning to his vehicle and departing. Shortly after, a green 2023-26 Kia Sportage struck the man and fled the scene.
Commissioner Stanford stated during a Friday afternoon press conference that the same officer was the first to respond to the 911 call following the crash. According to Stanford, the officer did not hold the scene, start a report or investigation, or provide medical care. Two witnesses eventually moved the man and called emergency services, but he was later pronounced dead at a hospital. The officer, a two-year veteran of the 35th District, has been placed on administrative duty.
Commissioner Stanford described the officer's alleged failure to hold the scene or provide medical assistance as "very disturbing" and said it contradicted the department's values of empathy and compassion. Police are currently seeking a green Kia Sportage and its operator, who fled eastbound on Tabor Avenue.
The department did not learn of the fatality until the medical examiner contacted them later on the morning of the crash. The next steps in the case include an active search for the hit-and-run suspect and a formal internal investigation into the officer's conduct.