September 27, 2024
Thom Carroll/for PhillyVoice
Dawn Watson, 14, was struck and killed by a motorist Thursday while she was crossing the street at Haverford Avenue and 66th Street, police say. The driver of the car, a dark gray Mercedes-Benz, did not stop.
A teenager was killed after she was struck by a car as she was crossing the street with her mother in West Philadelphia on Thursday, police said.
Dawn Watson, 14, was struck by a dark gray Mercedes-Benz on the 6500 block of Haverford Avenue, near the intersection of 66th Street, at 9:38 p.m. Investigators said the car was speeding eastbound on Haverford Avenue and did not stop after striking Watson.
Philadelphia Police Inspector Michael Gormley told FOX29 that the car swerved in an attempt to avoid the two pedestrians, but the collision knocked Watson away from her mother, and the girl was found nearly a block away. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators said no one witnessed the crash except for the girl's mother. Police described her as distraught and "hysterical" due to the crash.
The hit-and-run is under investigation, and police are working to see if any surveillance cameras captured the collision. Investigators said they believe the Mercedes has heavy front end damage.
