2 Philadelphia sanitation workers struck by vehicle while picketing during DC 33 strike, police say
Two sanitation workers, including one who is pregnant, who were on the picket line in the AFSCME District Council 33 union strike, were hit by a vehicle in Philadelphia's Port Richmond section late Thursday night, officials said. A driver is already in custody and charged with hit-and-run and driving under the influence.
Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said the crash happened just before 11:30 p.m. on the 3900 block of North Delaware Avenue.
When police arrived on the scene, they found a 36-year-old male as well as a 30-year-old female who were struck by a vehicle. Both victims were immediately rushed to Jefferson Torresdale Hospital. The male is described to be in very critical condition and was taken to have surgery, while the female is being evaluated for bumps and bruises and is expected to be OK.
He said preliminary information indicates the victims were sitting in chairs in front of the sanitation yard when a black Chevrolet SUV jumped the curb and struck them.
In a statement, AFSCME District Council 33 President Greg Boulware said, "Enough is enough," and they're praying for the injured members and their families.
"Two of our brave members, including one who was pregnant, were out in the middle of the night, standing for a cause to improve their families' lives, when they were senselessly struck down by a vehicle and seriously injured. Our members are constantly in the streets, facing these dangers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, whether we are on strike or not," Boulware's statement read in part. "This incident points out the need for increased protections and support from the city of Philadelphia. We implore the Parker administration to take decisive action and help us come to a resolution that gets our people off of picket lines and back to work with livable wages."
The vehicle then fled north on Delaware Avenue, turned around and then went back south. Police located the vehicle within minutes on the 3000 block of Castor Avenue and took the driver and the passenger in the vehicle into custody.
The driver's identity has not been released, but police say he is 41 years old.
"Inside the vehicle, we found some containers of alcohol, some sealed and some were open," Small said. "So, 24th District police did a great job stopping this vehicle within minutes."
Several sanitation workers who were also on scene and witnessed the incident are being interviewed by police. Small said that while the person was intoxicated, it is still unclear if the crash was intentional.
Small said it took officers time to process what was ultimately a large crime scene.
"They're going to take measurements and look for any marks on the street where the vehicles jumped the curb, got back on the curb," he added. "It was a pretty involved crime scene, but it's going to be thoroughly investigated."
We've also reached out to Mayor Cherelle Parker's administration for responses.
