Driver Fleeing Robbery Kills 3 Children

(AP)  A car fleeing a robbery scene and being chased by police Wednesday night jumped a curb and crashed into a crowd, killing three young children in front of their home and gravely injuring a woman, authorities said.

"It's a tragedy," police Commissioner Charles Ramsey said.

The incident in Feltonville, a neighborhood of row houses in North Philadelphia, began with two men stealing a motorcycle at gunpoint, Ramsey said. One man fled on the motorcycle, and the other sped away in a car, he said.

Police spotted the car a few minutes after receiving a report of the motorcycle theft and pursued it for about a mile.

The car jumped the curb with such force it badly damaged the concrete steps of one of the row houses, where the children lived. It became wedged between a house and a pole. The woman it hit is the mother of at least one of the dead children, all of whom were under age 10, authorities said.

"It's horrifying to think about what happened," Mayor Michael Nutter said at the scene. "It's a horrific scene."

The car's driver was injured and was arrested at the scene, and a gun was found in the car, police said. The motorcycle rider was arrested at his nearby home, where several weapons were found, police said.

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.

Police towed away the mangled car, whose back passenger side and roof were caved in. They didn't immediately release the names of the victims or those arrested.

Neighborhood resident Robert Martinez, who lives in the house directly behind the crash scene, said the sound of the crash "was like a bomb blew up."

Martinez, who knew the victims, said he hustled to the scene and heard the children's grandmother, who lived with them, calling out for them.

"It could have been my three nieces," he said, "could have happened on this block."

[number1GI]

I agree with ameroseas: Letterman was out of line.

[averjane]

I guess they should have just not done their job and not responded to the call or maybe when the criminals began to flee, they should have just stepped aside and catch them later through a license plate because a car chase might end in a fatality. Well what if that vehicle is stolen. They got the two responsible and they will be the ones to pay for the crime of killing these innocent people and theft not the police. They didn't kill anyone.

[cbsblogger]

"The car's driver was injured and was arrested at the scene, and a gun was found in the car, police said. The motorcycle rider was arrested at his nearby home, where several weapons were found, police said. "

These guys most likely had rap sheets that would have prohibited them from owning firearms. Until they keep criminal gun users off the streets forever we, the law abiding people, need the right of self protection. The cities have programs to exterminate the rats and roaches. The cities need to institute a crash program for these other vermin who are much more dangerous.

We need a Devil's Island type of place where we can send them to live out the rest of their lives amongst their own kind.

[TheMasses008]

Philly's a craphole anyway.
Who is suprised?
Bless the children though.

[enough-already]

I'm just waiting to see how long before some slime-ball lawyer contacts the relatives of the dead children and they end up suing the police department, and they'll eventually receive a multi-million dollar settlement. Happens all the time. But does that money bring the children back? No. Then what's the point of suing the police? Easy way to get rich, for the relatives AND the lawyers, of course. The lawsuit is sadder than the loss of the children.

[webdepot]

And just leave the criminals to commit more crimes? They need to stop anyone who flees the police immediatley. If that means pulling up next to them and shooting the driver in the head then so be it. There also needs to be a mandatory sentance of at least 5 years for anyone convicted of fleeing law enforcement.
Posted by endurorob at 5:09 AM : Jun 11, 2009

You're a freakin moron.. pull up beside a speeding vehicle in an urban area and shoot the driver in the head.. and then watch the speeding car with a dead driver kill more people.. If they had a partial description of the car, they should have just gotten the license plate and caught the jerk later, when the public was not in such danger..

[endurorob]

What a horrific and senseless tragedy. The fleeing criminal is to blame of course, but I think the police should give up these high speed chases in urban areas, too may inocents getting hurt or killed.
Posted by jankebenzone at 10:47 PM : Jun 10, 2009


And just leave the criminals to commit more crimes? They need to stop anyone who flees the police immediatley. If that means pulling up next to them and shooting the driver in the head then so be it. There also needs to be a mandatory sentance of at least 5 years for anyone convicted of fleeing law enforcement.

[payasyougo]

A fleeing driver is always a threat to public life. The penalty for fleeing needs to be greater and the force used to stop needs to be swift and overwhelming. Criminals will stop fleeing if they know they are going to die in the next 30 seconds if they don't stop.

[alanw407]

On every story there is at least one pile of human excrement who blames the cops for something a criminal does.

Clearly, brianbwb-2009 is that pile.

[jankebenzone]

What a horrific and senseless tragedy. The fleeing criminal is to blame of course, but I think the police should give up these high speed chases in urban areas, too may inocents getting hurt or killed.