Cab company in Monday deaths had many violations

The taxicab company whose driver struck and killed a young man and woman on North Broad Street early Monday has been under investigation by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission nearly two dozen times in the last five years, and has paid thousands of dollars in fines for infractions and safety violations, state records show.

Around 4:30 a.m. Monday, Amanda DiGirolomo of Phoenixville and Bryan Botti of Baltimore, both 25, were crossing in a crosswalk at Arch Street when they were struck by the northbound Rosemont Taxicab Co. car, police said.

DiGirolomo was pronounced dead at the scene. Botti died at a hospital shortly after. No charges have been filed in the case. On Tuesday, authorities said the investigation could take weeks.

Rosemont Taxicab declined to comment on Tuesday.

The incident resulted in the first fatalities involving a taxicab in Philadelphia this year, said Sgt. Joseph Rossa of the Accident Investigation District.

Several witnesses told police it appeared the cab had been speeding. But when the accident took place, the streets were mostly empty, so witnesses would not have been able to compare the cab's speed with those of other cars, Rossa said.

Investigators can calculate the car's velocity by measuring the distance the victims traveled after being hit and by examining the car itself, he said. Witnesses told police the two were thrown about 100 feet.

The driver, a 41-year-old man who police have not identified, stayed on the scene and cooperated with officers, Rossa said. He was taken to Hahnemann University Hospital for chest pains. There was heavy damage to the cab's windshield.

In 2012, the cab company was fined $3,850 by the commission for failing to obtain a criminal-background check for 15 of its drivers, not having complete driver log sheets in its cars, and not having a proper lease with one of its drivers, according to public commission documents. The company never responded to the commission's complaint but paid the fine, records show.

Eight of the cases against Rosemont are active. The complaints cover a variety of alleged infractions, including not posting fares in cars, failing to have safe tires on a car, and not having working parts in cars, such as lights, an odometer, or turn signals. Many were ignored by the company and resulted in small fines.

In 2011, the company paid $1,300 after ignoring a complaint that the company let a driver work without a driver's license.

The commission's Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement also filed a complaint against the company for alleged failure to pay its assessments in the 2012-13 and 2013-14 fiscal years. The commission is asking Rosemont to pay $11,641.

DiGirolomo and Botti had attended the Made in America music festival Sunday night, police said.

DiGirolomo, a 2009 graduate of Phoenixville Area High School, worked at the fitness facilities at the Vanguard Group, employed there as a fitness and wellness specialist by Corporate Fitness Works.

She had graduated in 2013 from Shippensburg University and was planning to apply to graduate school this fall for occupational therapy, said Russell Robinson, chair of the university's exercise science department and DiGirolomo's adviser.

Just a few weeks ago, she had contacted Robinson to ask for a letter of recommendation and tell him of her plans.

She "thought occupational therapy school was going to be it for her," Robinson said.

Her father, Anthony, is a former Phoenixville borough manager and council member.

Botti, a graduate of Washington College in Chestertown, Md., had worked for Brown Advisory, a financial services company in Baltimore, since 2013.

"Bryan was a much-respected colleague and friend to all of us at Brown Advisory," Michael Hankin, president and chief executive officer, said in a statement. "He is remembered for his consistent good nature and his ability to brighten everyone's day. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends at this time of profound sadness."

At Washington College, Botti was a defenseman and team captain on the men's lacrosse team as a senior and was named his team's most improved player as a freshman in 2009, according to the school's athletic website.

This story has been corrected from an earlier version that called the vehicle a Philadelphia taxicab. The cab company is based in Bryn Mawr, Montgomery County.