PHILADELPHIA, PA – Authorities are actively searching for a driver who fatally struck a teenage girl and fled the scene in West Philadelphia. The tragic incident, captured on security footage, occurred at the intersection of 66th Street and Haverford Avenue around 9:30 p.m. on Monday.
The victim, 14-year-old Dawn Watson, was walking home from the store with her mother. The security video shows them carrying bags and crossing the street when a speeding car, traveling in the wrong lane, suddenly plowed through the intersection and hit Watson before speeding away.
Local police revealed that Watson lived on the 900 block of North 66th Street. Neighbors who were unsettled by the accident also provided their accounts. One neighbor, choosing to remain anonymous, recounted hearing the crash and the heart-wrenching cries of Watson’s mother.
Despite the swift response by medics, Watson was pronounced dead at the scene. The vehicle that the suspect drove is described as a dark-colored, possibly gray or charcoal Mercedes sedan with significant damage.
Expressing her sorrow over the girl’s untimely death, the neighbor added, “I’m a mother of five and a grandmother of ten and that could have been my baby.”
Philadelphia police are urging anyone with information on the incident to contact them.