Woman killed in hit-and-run while trying to cross road in Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Philadelphia police are searching for the driver who left the scene after fatally striking a woman who was crossing the street in the city's Mayfair neighborhood.

Police said the driver struck the victim just before 11:30 p.m. Thursday on Cottman Ave., near Brous Ave., which is close to Roosevelt Blvd.

The vehicle was traveling eastbound in the 2800 block of Cottman Ave. as the woman was attempting to cross from the north side to the south side at the time of the crash.

Police said the car was going fairly fast based on where they found one of her shoes.

"The distance between where we found the sneaker and where we actually found the female lying is a distance of about 200 feet," said Chief Inspector Scott Small with the Philadelphia Police Department.

First responders found her suffering from severe injuries to her head and torso.

Medics rushed her to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead about an hour later, police said.

The vehicle is described by police as a dark-colored SUV and fled in an unknown direction. Images show still images of a vehicle police are looking for with possible passenger side front-end damage.

Action News obtained surveillance video that shows the moment the woman was hit. The driver didn't stick around and drove away from the scene.

"Fortunately, there are numerous businesses at the intersection of Cottman and Brous," Small said. "Most of these businesses do have exterior surveillance cameras. Although these businesses are closed for business at this time, crash investigators will come here in the morning and try to retrieve these recordings."

Mohamed Kader says as he was working nearby, he witnessed an ambulance and officers rush to the corner.

"I'm surprised to be honest with you that someone would do that and run away," he said.

According to our data team, there were 134 traffic fatalities across the city in 2024; 30% were hit-and-runs. Eight traffic fatalities happened within a two-mile radius of Cottman and Brous in 2024.

Residents, including Chris, who did not want to share her last name, say they have concerns at this intersection. "That's how it is these days, they don't want to wait for the red light, so they just go around other people and blow the red light."

Police said the victim didn't have an ID, so they don't know her name yet and are only able to say they believe she was in her 40s.

Investigators are speaking with witnesses.