No charges yet against driver who killed 11-year-old cyclist

Days after a South Philly boy was hit and killed by a car while riding his bike, thousands of dollars in donations for his family have poured in, while charges are still pending against the driver who killed him.

Julian Angelucci, 11, was biking on the 1000 block of Shunk Street near 10th Street, just a block north of Oregon Avenue, when he was fatally struck by a Mazda CX-9 SUV around 3 p.m. on May 18. The driver, a 48-year-old woman, initially fled the scene, but was reportedly apprehended by police later that evening.

Angelucci was pronounced dead at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital at 3:35 p.m.

After some media outlets questioned why the driver had not been charged, the DA’s office released a statement saying charges were “likely.”

“Several media outlets have incorrectly suggested that the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office has declined to press charges in this case,” Philly DA Larry Krasner’s spokesman Ben Waxman said in a statement. “This is not accurate. This incident is the subject of an ongoing investigation by law enforcement. It is highly likely that the result of this investigation will be criminal charges. Again, charges have absolutely not been declined by our office.”

As of Monday afternoon, no charges had yet been filed.

A Gofundme campaign started to help the Angelucci family pay for funeral expenses had exceeded its goal of $15,000 and reached nearly $19,000 on Monday.

“My younger brother passed away at 11 years old on May 18 of 2018. His life was tragically taken from the careless act of a reckless driver,” Julian’s sister, Nina Angelucci, wrote on the page. “His death was unexpected and we are now sadly in the process of planning a funeral for him. Unfortunately, we do not have all the funds to put him to rest in the way he deserves. Please help my family in this time of need.”

Visit gofundme.com/julian-angeluccis-funeral-funds to support the Angelucci family.