Sad news of a fatal car accident in Philadelphia reached Peoria news outlets Wednesday morning. Although any fatal car accident is, of course, sad, this one might be sadder than most because it resulted in the death of a young woman and her three young sons.
The 27-year-old woman and her children were trying to cross Roosevelt Boulevard in Philadelphia around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday when they were struck by an oncoming vehicle. The driver of that vehicle then left the scene.
The woman and one of her sons, a 1-year-old, were pronounced dead at the scene. A 9-month-old boy died after being transported to a hospital, and a 4-year-old boy died Wednesday morning. A fourth son, a 5-year-old boy, remains hospitalized in critical condition.
Police have said they interviewed witnesses to the crash and have learned that the vehicle that struck the family may have been racing another vehicle. Authorities are now trying to see if any nearby surveillance cameras caught footage of the accident. They have also asked anyone with information about the car crash to come forward.
This is a very sad incident, but we cannot say it is an uncommon one. Each year, car accidents injure a great many people and lead to the deaths of many others. In many of these instances, the responsible party leaves the scene and has to be tracked down by police.
If you are ever injured in a car accident, or if you lose a loved one to a car crash, it might be worth your time to explore whether there are any legal remedies available to you.
Source: The Peoria Journal Star, “Police investigating drag racing report in death of mother, 3 sons,” July 17, 2013