November 27, 2024
Thom Carroll/for PhillyVoice
A Philly police officer attempted to make a traffic stop on Hunting Park Avenue near Front Street for a suspected stolen vehicle. The driver fled the scene, hitting the officer, who received minor injuries.
A police officer is recovering from minor injuries after being hit by a stolen white Honda Civic in North Philly on Tuesday evening, and investigators are still searching for the driver.
The hit-and-run occurred around 9:30 p.m. on 100 West Hunting Park Ave., authorities said. The officer and his partner starting tailing the vehicle after identifying that it was taken in an armed carjacking on Sunday.
When the Civic stopped in traffic at the intersection, one of the officers left the cruiser to approach the car on the passenger side. A man was in the driver's seat and a woman was in the passenger seat, police said.
The driver of the Civic put the car in reverse, striking the police cruiser behind it before turning right, hitting the officer and causing him to roll on the hood and fall on the street about 15 feet away.
The officer's partner took him to Temple University Hospital for injuries to his knee and elbow. Police have not released the officer's name but said he is a four-year veteran of the force in his late 20s.
The stolen car fled the scene and was last seen heading south on Front Street. Police said it struck a Mazda in the getaway, and the driver of that vehicle was unharmed.
The Civic was recovered on the 1000 block of West Ruscomb Street, but investigators are still searching for both occupants of the vehicle. Authorities urge anyone with information about the incident to contact the Philadelphia Police Department East Detectives at 215-686-3243.
