Police looking for Prius involved in Roosevelt Boulevard deadly hit-and-run
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Police are now looking for a 2010 to 2015 Toyota Prius that they believe killed a man in a hit-and-run on Roosevelt Boulevard in Northeast Philadelphia early Monday morning.
Investigators believe the striking vehicle was a Toyota Prius based on the car parts that were left behind at the crime scene.
The crash was so forceful, it knocked the victim out of his shoes. It happened just after midnight in the northbound lanes of the boulevard near Borbeck Avenue.
Police believe a 42-year-old man was walking in the crosswalk when he was hit. He died at the scene. Police have not released the 42-year-old's name yet.
"That's ridiculous. This, we shouldn't live in a society like this. It's wrong," Seneca Arocho said.
Arocho said he's lived in Northeast Philadelphia for a long time and has seen plenty of accidents.
According to the Philadelphia Police Department, there have been a staggering 1,441 crashes on Roosevelt Boulevard so far this year.
Ten of which were deadly.
"I lived here my whole life. It's a shame. It's gotta stop. People are just going to keep getting hurt," Arocho said.
There are 40 speed cameras like this one below at 10 different locations, and there's evidence they're saving lives.
The city says from 2020 to 2022, deadly crashes on the boulevard fell 44%. However, residents say it's still not enough.
"Unless they have a speed bump every five feet, people are going to use this as a highway and that's what they're doing," Annette Gittelman said
The boulevard is considered to be one of the most dangerous roads, not only in the city, but the country. There are efforts underway to make the roadway safer, including a $78 million boost from the federal government.
The funding is part of President Joe Biden's bipartisan infrastructure law that passed in 2021.
With the money, the city will build new median barriers, realign crosswalks, upgrade traffic signals and create new transit lanes for buses.
The city wants to reduce traffic fatalities on the boulevard to zero by the year 2030.
But do residents think they'll be able to reach that goal?
Arocho thinks it could happen.
"Possibility. I mean, I don't know how, but hopefully we have some good city planners who know what's going on," he said.
The city is working on a long-term plan with PennDOT and other agencies to transform Roosevelt Boulevard by 2040.
If you have any information on the identity of the driver involved in the hit-and-run, police urge you to give them a call.
