Bicyclist killed in Philly’s fourth hit-and-run in the last week

A bicyclist was struck and killed Friday in Philadelphia’s fourth hit-and-run since last Sunday.

Police spokesperson Miguel Torres said the driver of a 2005 Chevrolet was traveling in an unknown direction when it struck the bicyclist at the intersection of Westford Road and Ashdale Street, in the Olney neighborhood, around 8:42 p.m.

The driver, a 42-year-old man, fled the scene but contacted police at 12:30 a.m. Saturday, Torres said based on preliminary police information. He was transported to the Crash Investigation Division, and his vehicle was towed by police. The investigation was ongoing, and further information about the victim and the defendant was not available Saturday afternoon.

» READ MORE: 53-year-old in critical condition after third hit and run in three days

The recent spate of hit-and-runs follows a year in which hit-and-run fatalities rose to a record 31, triple that of 2019. Of the 117 fatal car crashes recorded in 2022 to mid-December, police records show, drivers fled the scene in one out of four of them.

Friday’s fatal hit-and-run was the fourth in Philadelphia this year.

On Tuesday night, a 53-year-old man was in critical condition after a driver struck him in Mayfair before fleeing, the third hit-and-run in three days, police said.

At 7:20 p.m., the driver of a dark-colored SUV traveling southbound on Frankford Avenue hit the man as he walked near the 7000 block of Frankford Avenue, police said. The driver fled the scene, and the pedestrian was taken to Jefferson Torresdale Hospital.

Last Sunday, there were two fatal hit-and-runs within hours.

Around 5:40 p.m. Sunday, a car struck and killed Savoun So, 43, on the 600 block of Oregon Avenue in South Philadelphia, police said. So had been crossing Oregon Avenue from the south sidewalk to the north sidewalk when a person driving eastbound in a silver SUV hit her.

So, of the 2700 block of Randolph Street, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police said they had recovered a Volkswagen Golf and were speaking to a person of interest, but no arrests had been made.

At 8:33 p.m. Sunday, Edguardo Rosario Jimenez, 31, was riding a bike on the 1900 block of North Howard Street in the Kensington section of the city when a driver in a white box van fatally hit him, police said. The van’s driver fled northbound on Howard Street.

» READ MORE: Families grieve as hit-and-run deaths reach record in Philadelphia

The city was offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in Sunday’s fatal hit-and-runs. Anyone with information is asked to call the Crash Investigation Division at 215-685-3181.