A family mourns a motorcyclist from Northeast Philly killed by a car that detached from a tow truck
Police say they are looking for the tow truck driver, who left the crash scene.
A motorcyclist from Northeast Philadelphia died Saturday after being struck by a car that detached from a tow truck, police said.
His sister identified the motorcyclist as Jason Harvey, 39, who she said was riding his Harley-Davidson at the time of the crash.
“Jason was an avid motorcycle enthusiast and loved his family,” said his older sister, Christine Harvey of Mantua, N.J. Harvey said her brother, who was born and raised in Northeast Philly, lived simply, “would never hurt a soul, and would never miss your call.”
The crash happened on the 4000 block of Frankford Avenue around 4:15 p.m. Saturday, according to Philadelphia police Inspector D.F. Pace.
A preliminary investigation found that a tow truck heading south on Frankford Avenue was hauling a silver Dodge Magnum when the car detached from the truck, Pace said.
“The unoccupied vehicle then rolled into the opposing lane of travel and struck an oncoming motorcycle head-on,” he said. The motorcyclist was taken to Temple University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, he said.
The driver left the scene before police arrived, Pace said. Police used city surveillance cameras to identify the tow truck, which is being held as evidence, and have spoken to the towing company.
Police are still seeking the driver, who as of Sunday afternoon remained at large, Pace said.
Another tow truck driver, Brandon Harling with A. Bob’s Towing, said he removed the vehicles from the scene.
“It was very bad,” said Harling. “The bike was stuck in the driver-side doorway of the car.”
Christine Harvey said the family is still processing what happened. She noted that in 2017, her brother’s 9-year-old daughter, Prudence, died in a house fire in North Philadelphia.
“Although he continued to make everyone else smile, he just never stopped hurting over her loss,” Harvey said. “He gave the best hugs and if there is a heaven, God, I hope there is — he’s up there with his little girl.”