Vehicle sought in deadly Southwest Philadelphia hit-and-run found in Delaware County, police say
The vehicle sought in a hit-and-run that left a woman dead in Southwest Philadelphia this week was located in Delaware County Tuesday night, police said.
A black Dodge Charger Hellcat was located in the area of Broadway and Oak avenues in Clifton Heights, according to police.
The hit-and-run Monday morning left 29-year-old Talyia Bernice Nesmith dead. She was exiting a rideshare around 3:15 a.m. when she was struck by a car as she crossed the street, according to police.
Police said Nesmith was hit with such force that she hit the back window of a parked car and landed at the intersection of Elmwood Avenue and South Lloyd Street. She was taken to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.
Investigators said the car may have damage to the passenger side and possibly to the windshield. They say it was stolen while it was parked in Northwest Philadelphia. Police say the owner helped investigators track the car's movements before detectives found it abandoned.
Investigators are now combing the car for clues they hope could help identify the driver.
"We have video and other evidence in the area of theft. We have video and other evidence in the area of vehicle recovery," Deputy Commissioner Frank Vanore said. "So we have other evidence that we're in the process of pulling and processing, so we're moving forward. But we still ask that anybody from the public who may know anything about this step to make known who was operating that Dodge Hellcat. We're urging them to call us."
Lakisha Nesmith, Talyia's mother, is pleading for whoever is responsible to turn themselves in.
"I just don't understand how someone felt like it was OK to hit my child and keep going," Lakisha Nesmith said. "She loved elderly people and kids with disabilities and that was her passion. She was full of love, and she loved you with her whole heart."
Anyone with information about the hit-and-run is asked to contact the Philadelphia Police Department.
