12-year-old boy crushed by truck after stumbling into street

A freak traffic accident involving a tractor-trailer killed a 12-year-old boy in Mayfair yesterday afternoon, police said.

Albert Talley Jr. had been attempting to cross Cottage Street near Cottman Avenue when he was run over by the tractor-trailer heading east on Cottman, police said.

At about 4 p.m., the boy darted across the front yard of a corner rowhouse on his way toward the street when, police said, he lost his footing and stumbled into the street.

He then rolled under the rear right tire of the truck, police said, and was crushed. The driver stopped a short distance away.

The boy was taken to Aria Health's Torresdale Campus, where he was pronounced dead at 4:46 p.m.

Investigators in the Accident Investigation Division said the truck driver - who had the right of way and had no vehicular violations - will not face charges.

"The truck driver never saw him," said Officer Gary Harrison of the accident division.

Traffic snarled during rush hour as police blocked off Cottman Avenue between Frankford Avenue and Cottage Street.

Small groups of residents, including young children, gathered near the scene of the accident.

One woman remarked on how often kids dart across the street to go to a nearby convenience store.

"There's an accident at least once a year [at this intersection], but never one like this," she said.*