School principal injured in crash caused by man fleeing Philadelphia police in the Tacony section of the city
A vehicle connected to a carjacking slammed into another SUV in the Tacony section of Philadelphia on Wednesday morning, leaving a trail of destruction and sending one man to the hospital.
The crash happened at the intersection of Princeton Avenue and Tulip Street, where surveillance video captured the moment the suspect's vehicle collided with a Mercedes SUV.
Action News learned the SUV was driven by the principal of Creative Learning Environments, a nearby school. He was taken to the hospital and has since been released.
"He just went right through the light, without touching the brake, without anything," said Benjamin Roman, a witness. "I feel bad for the guy. He did like five 360s in the air before he hit the pole."
Roman said he was asleep when the crash happened.
"I was sleeping. In a dead sleep, I even had headphones on when I heard, boom! Like an explosion," he said.
The crash damaged several vehicles, including Roman's.
"Right up against my car. Destroyed my car," he said.
Police said the incident began around 9 a.m. when officers spotted a car wanted in connection with a carjacking on the 7100 block of Edmund Street.
When they attempted to stop the vehicle, the driver fled, eventually hitting a utility pole, backing into police, and speeding the wrong way down Tulip Street before the crash.
The impact left debris scattered across the area, including part of a truck in a yard, a tire on top of a fence, and the damaged Mercedes on the sidewalk.
Police said the driver attempted to flee on foot but was caught. There is no word yet on what charges the suspect may face.
