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Officer follows scrape marks, fluid to hit-run SUV

A Philadelphia Police officer followed a trail of road scrapings and fluid leaks to find a silver Chevrolet Tahoe suspected of fatally striking a 52-year-old woman before the driver fled.

The woman was struck about 10:30 p.m. Monday night in Southwest Philadelphia as she was crossing the 4800 block of Chester Avenue, near 48th Street, police said.  The driver drove away, and later abandoned the car. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene at 10:35 p.m.

Witnesses identified the vehicle as a Tahoe, which they said had sustained heavy damage, particularly at the front end. It was last seen traveling east on Chester Avenue.

A responding officer, who works for the Accident Investigation District, spotted scrape marks in the street, and fluid, possibly anti-freeze, and followed the trail about a half-mile away to the vehicle's location on Larchwood Avenue.

Police did not have a named suspect as of early this morning.

Anyone with information about the accident should contact that Accident Investigation Division at 215-685-3180, the tip line at 215-686-8477 (215-686-TIPS) or text a tip to 773847 (PPDTIP).

Contact the Breaking News Desk at breakingnewsdesk@philly.com.