Deadly Traffic Incidents in PhiladelphiaDeadly Traffic Incidents in Philadelphia June 22, 2023: A series of tragic traffic incidents occurred in Philadelphia on Wednesday, leaving two dead and one critically injured. Incident 1: * East Germantown around 4:30 p.m. * A 26-year-old woman was struck by a car driven by 40-year-old Sekia Spencer. * Spencer fled the scene and is charged with aggravated assault, driving under the influence, and other crimes. * The victim remains in critical condition. Incident 2: * Rittenhouse Square at 7 p.m. * 30-year-old Barbara Friedes was struck by a speeding car while biking in the bike lane. * The driver, a 68-year-old man, is hospitalized and awaiting toxicology results. * Friedes died at the hospital from severe head injuries. Incident 3: * Kensington, Frankford and East Allegheny Avenues minutes after Incident 2 * 38-year-old Christopher Cabrera was struck by a car driven by 41-year-old Christopher Sorensen. * Sorensen is charged with narcotics offenses and is expected to face charges related to Cabrera’s death. * Cabrera died at the scene. Preliminary investigations suggest that Sorensen was under the influence of drugs. He has a history of drug-related arrests and was wanted on a bench warrant at the time of the crash. These incidents have sparked concern among safe streets advocates and highlighted the need for increased road safety measures.
Philadelphia police have charged two drivers — and are awaiting the toxicology results for a third — who they say were involved in three crashes this week that left a bicyclist and one pedestrian dead and critically injured another.
The crashes took place within just three hours on Wednesday, after three people, including Barbara Friedes, a young doctor biking home, were struck by drivers in separate sections of the city, igniting a wave of concern among safe streets advocates.
The first incident, a hit and run, occurred in East Germantown around 4:30 p.m. on the 5800 block of Chew Avenue. As a 26-year-old woman crossed the street, 40-year-old Sekia Spencer struck the woman with her car, then fled the scene, said Deputy Police Commissioner Frank Vanore.
The woman flew onto the windshield of Spencer’s car before falling into the street, Vanore said. She remains in critical condition at Einstein Hospital.
Responding officers located Spencer’s car not far from the scene, parked on the 5600 block of Sprague Street, with severe front-end damage and a cracked windshield, Vanore said.
Spencer was taken into custody and has been charged with aggravated assault while driving under the influence, causing an accident involving death or injury, causing an accident involving injury without a driver’s license, being in possession of a controlled substance, and related crimes. She remains in custody on $175,000 bail. Her attorney at the Defender Association declined to comment.
Then, at 7 p.m., Friedes, a 30-year-old medical resident at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, was biking near Rittenhouse Square when she was struck from behind by a speeding car on the 1800 block of Spruce Street.
Video from the scene appears to show the driver, a 68-year-old man operating a blue Volkswagen, attempt to steer around other cars in the street while driving at a high rate of speed, swerving into the bike lane and running over the plastic lane dividers before crashing into Friedes and then hitting several parked cars.
She flew more than 20 feet into the air from the impact, police said. She was wearing a helmet and was riding in the bike lane, but still, police said, she suffered severe head injuries and died at the hospital shortly upon arrival.
Vanore said the driver remains hospitalized from injuries related to the crash. Investigators are awaiting the expedited results of multiple tests to determine whether he was intoxicated at the time of the crash, Vanore said. Those results should be back soon, he said.
He declined to identify the driver, who has not been charged with any crimes.
The District Attorney’s Office said the crash remains under investigation.
Just minutes after Friedes was struck, a third person was killed in Kensington under similar circumstances.
As 38-year-old Christopher Cabrera stood on the corner of Frankford and East Allegheny Avenues, waiting to cross the street, a man in a black Toyota drove through the intersection at a high rate of speed, Vanore said.
The driver, 41-year-old Christopher Sorensen, veered onto the curb and struck Cabrera head on before crashing into a parked car, Vanore said. Bystanders attempted to help Cabrera but his injuries were severe, Vanore said. He died at the scene.
The video of the crash is something Vanore said he “will never be able to unsee.”
He said investigators believe Sorensen was under the influence of drugs at the time, and that police found heroin in his possession. Sorensen remains hospitalized, and has been charged with narcotics offenses. Police expect to charge him in connection with Cabrera’s death once toxicology results are returned and he is released from the hospital, Vanore said.
Sorensen was wanted on a bench warrant in a drug possession case in Bucks County at the time of the crash. Court records show that he has a lengthy history of arrests and has spent time in jail, largely for drug-related crimes.
He was most recently taken into custody in April but was released on bail, records show. A warrant was issued for his arrest on July 8 after he did not show up for court.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
