A 67-year-old man was killed in a hit-and-run crash while riding his bicycle Tuesday morning in West Fairmount Park, police said.
The collision happened just before 10 a.m. in the area of Belmont Avenue and the Avenue of the Republic, according to authorities. Cycling advocacy groups identified the victim as Harry Fenton, a Society Hill resident.
Investigators said two cars – a black Dodge Charger and a black Chrysler – were speeding north on Belmont as he was riding a bike heading east on the Avenue of the Republic. One of the drivers struck him, the PPD said, offering no further specifics.
Fenton was thrown from his bike, and medics rushed him to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, where he died at around 10:20 a.m. Tuesday, police added.
Detectives from the Crash Investigation Division who were on their way to the scene spotted several men inspecting a black Charger on Sedgley Avenue, on the other side of the Schuylkill River. Police said the officers seized the vehicle, though no immediate arrests were made, officials said Tuesday.
Metro reached out to the PPD on Wednesday, and a police spokesperson said they could provide no further information about the case.
Fenton was a member of Philly Bike Action and the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, representatives from both organizations said. His daughter told NBC10 that he was riding his normal bike route at the time of the crash.
He was a respected criminal defense attorney in central Pennsylvania’s Lebanon County before retiring and moving to Philadelphia, according to LebTown, an independent news source that covers the area.
Philly Bike Action, in a statement Wednesday, noted that Belmont Avenue is part of the city’s high injury network, the 12% of Philadelphia streets that account for 80% of all traffic deaths and serious injuries.
“This is yet another heartbreaking death that could have been prevented by safe street design and protected bicycle infrastructure,” the organization said. “It is a reminder to City Council and to PennDOT that these life saving measures need their approval and funding.
“We urge city leaders to slow and remove traffic to return Fairmount Park to the clean, green, safe treasure it ought to be.”
Prior to the crash, PBA had been organizing a protest ride beginning at 5:45 p.m. Friday at the Philadelphia Museum of Art steps to demand full protected bike lanes on roads throughout the city, particularly Spruce and Pine streets. It will now begin with a moment of silence for Fenton, the group said.
