Car hits Philly crowd, killing 3 kids, woman
Published 10:25 am Thursday, June 11, 2009
PHILADELPHIA — A woman who was struck by a car fleeing a robbery scene died today, a day after the vehicle jumped a curb, smashed into a crowd and killed three young children.
Latoya Smith, 22, died this morning, Albert Einstein Medical Center spokeswoman Judy Horwitz said. Smith was critically injured in Wednesday night’s crash in the city’s Feltonville neighborhood.
Besides Smith, police said, the victims were her 11-month-old daughter, a 7-year-old girl and a 6-year-old girl.
Police were chasing the vehicle after they received a call about two men stealing a motorcycle at gunpoint, Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey said.
According to police, one man fled on the motorcycle and the other in a car. Police spotted the car and chased it about a mile before the crash.
The collision was so violent the car damaged the concrete front steps of a row house where the children lived and ended up stuck between a utility pole and a house.
Police arrested the car’s driver at the scene. They also arrested the alleged motorcycle rider.
Police today say the two men had lengthy criminal records.
Police say 18-year-old Donta Cradock and 20-year-old Ivan Rodriguez have been charged in the theft of a motorcycle that prompted the chase. Other charges are pending.
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, two handguns and a rifle there.
