Calls for pedestrian, cyclist safety intensify following deadly crashes

A series of serious crashes in recent days has prompted calls for elected officials to make Philadelphia’s streets safer for pedestrians and cyclists. 

On Wednesday, two people were killed and a woman was seriously injured. Then, over the weekend, three crashes left two people dead, including a toddler, and three others wounded. 

A man died after he was struck Sunday morning on the 4200 block of Aramingo Avenue in Frankford, authorities said. Officers responded to the scene at around 5 a.m., and towed a 2015 Ford Fusion that was left abandoned in the northbound lanes.

Investigators do not believe that car hit the pedestrian, but they wanted to examine it for evidence. The PPD has said the driver fled the scene, and no arrests were made in the immediate aftermath of the crash.

Police have not identified the victim and are asking anyone with information to contact the department’s Crash Investigation Division at 215-685-3181. 

Mother and children struck in North Philadelphia

On Saturday night, just after 8:45 p.m., a 28-year-old man driving a truck hit a 31-year-old mother and her two kids while making a left turn at Front Street and Wyoming Avenue in Feltonville, authorities said.

A toddler died a short time later at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children, police said. She was two months of her second birthday and riding in a stroller at the time of the crash.

The mother and her 13-year-old daughter were hospitalized with nonlife-threatening injuries, according to investigators.

Authorities said the driver was turning on a green light and that the family was in a marked crosswalk. He remained at the scene, and the PPD said Sunday that charges have not yet been filed.

Minutes earlier, just before 8:45 p.m. Saturday, a man was struck by a Nissan Altima while crossing mid-block on the 1300 block of Rising Sun Avenue, near Temple University Hospital in North Philadelphia, police said.

He was taken to the hospital in critical condition with a head injury, according to the PPD. Investigators said the driver, 60-year-old Vincent Dennis, stayed on scene. 

Court records indicate that Dennis has been charged with aggravated assault by vehicle, driving under the influence, driving with a suspended or revoked license and other offenses. The public defender’s association, which is representing him, did not respond to a request for comment Sunday.

CHOP doctor killed in Rittenhouse Square

Police said a 68-year-old man was driving west at around 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 17, on the 1800 block of Spruce Street in the Rittenhouse Square neighborhood when he struck a cyclist who was riding in the same direction in the bike lane.

The rider, 30-year-old Barbara Friedes, was rushed to Jefferson University Hospital with severe head trauma and died a short time later, according to authorities. Friedes was a doctor at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and a graduate of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Dr. Jeanine Ronan, program director of CHOP’s pediatrics residency program, called Friedes a “beacon of light” and said she had been selected as a chief resident for the academic year.

“She was loved by so many and embodied kindness, strength and a deep compassion for all who crossed her path,” Ronan said in a statement Thursday. “This morning, the CHOP community is in mourning following her tragic loss and keeping her family, friends and loved ones in our hearts.”

Authorities said the driver proceeded to hit three cars parked on the street. He was hospitalized with minor injuries. The PPD said no charges have been filed, though the investigation remains active.

Philly Bike Action organized a vigil Sunday morning for Friedes. The group has been holding weekly bike lane parties at 17th and Spruce streets as part of a campaign against permits held by several Center City churches allowing congregants to park their vehicles in the lanes.

At around the same time Wednesday night, a man was fatally struck while standing on the corner of Frankford and Allegheny avenues in Kensington, authorities said. Police have not publicly identified the victim.

Investigators said the driver remained at the scene. There has been no word on charges. 

Earlier, at around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, a driver hit a 26-year-old woman who was crossing the street on the 5800 block of Chew Avenue in East Germantown, police said. The pedestrian was hospitalized in critical condition at Einstein Medical Center.

The female driver fled the scene, and officers later found the car nearby and arrested her, according to investigators.

‘A citywide problem’

City Councilmember Isaiah Thomas, in a statement Thursday, criticized funding cuts during the most recent municipal budget cycle to Vision Zero, a set of strategies introduced under Mayor Jim Kenney’s administration aimed at eliminating traffic deaths.

“This is entirely preventable and they should be here with us today,” Thomas said. “We must fund and implement preventative measures like protected bike lanes, daylighted intersections, and curb extensions.”

Mayor Cherelle Parker signed an executive order in March recommitting the city to Vision Zero, but her first budget slashed direct spending on the initiative from $2.5 million to $1 million.

However, her administration does not view the decrease as a cut. Money was allocated to road safety improvements through separate line items, most notably $1.25 million for a speed cushion and traffic calming program – a major aspect of Vision Zero, city officials said. Funding is also being supplemented by federal grants won through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, according to the administration.

Parker, in a statement Thursday, also referred to her support for speed enforcement cameras, which have been installed on Roosevelt Boulevard and are coming to Broad Street.

“For years, I have strongly supported proactive measures to ensure the safety of pedestrians and cyclists in our city,” the mayor said. “I take traffic safety very seriously – and very personally – as does my entire Parker administration.”

Steph Davis, chair of 5th Square, an urbanist political action committee, said in a statement Thursday that “this citywide problem is a product of inaction and purposeful deprioritization of people over cars.”

“We need our city government to respond with real change and real investment in roadway safety,” Davis added. “We want everyone to be safe whether they are riding a bike lane in Rittenhouse, standing on a corner in Kensington, or crossing a street in Germantown.”

Another 5th Square member, Russell Richie, noted that Spruce Street is one of the most popular cycling routes but its bike lane is only separated by paint and flexible posts near intersections.

Richie called for hardened barriers, bollards or parking-protected bike lanes to be installed on Spruce and Pine streets.

City Council President Kenyatta Johnson said that, following Friedes’s death, he has asked the city’s Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems to “examine and recommend what short and long-term safety measures” can be implemented on Spruce Street. His district covers the road from Broad Street west to Schuylkill River Park.

In the first half of the year, through June 30, 52 people had died in crashes in the city, the lowest number since 2019, according to data collected by the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia. However, pedestrian deaths comprised a higher share of the total (46%) compared to (35%), the organization’s analysis found.