$20,000 reward after boy killed in Southwest Philadelphia hit-and-run

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SOUTHWEST PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) --

Police say a $20,000 reward is now being offered in the hit-and-run crash, caught on camera, that killed a 4-year-old boy in Southwest Philadelphia.

The reward, offered by the mayor's office, is for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the driver who struck the boy twice near the intersection of 57th and Litchfield Streets then fled the scene.

The crash happened around 6:30 p.m. Monday and was captured by a surveillance camera.

Investigators believe the driver was an African-American woman.

"She needs to turn herself in and give us some kind of explanation," said Capt. John Wilczynski of the Philadelphia Police Accident Investigations Division.

In addition to that direct appeal to the driver, police also asked for the public's help in trying to locate both the driver and the vehicle involved.

They are looking for a limited edition 2011-2014 black Ford Edge SUV with an all-chrome smooth front and a 1-inch chrome trim strip, front-to-back, on both sides of the vehicle.

Nothing from the vehicle fell off on impact, Wilczynski said, and no physical evidence of the SUV remained at the scene.

A 4-year-old child was struck and killed by a car that fled the scene in Southwest Philadelphia, police say.

Surveillance video, too graphic to show in its entirety, shows how the driver struck the boy Monday evening, sending him 15 feet down the roadway.

The driver then runs over the unconscious youngster before speeding away. "I noticed a little, young boy coming out of the street right behind us," witness Jerome Eskridge told Action News. "When he got into the middle of the street, I heard a lady holler, 'Go back! Go back!'"

Several witnesses tried chasing down the driver after the incident, but to no avail.

Other witnesses called 911 and tried to help.

"He had stopped breathing at once. I think he went into shock. But they did find a pulse," Eskridge said.

The little boy was quickly transported to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, where he was pronounced dead a short time later.

Raysa Cespedes is another witness who says the only thing more heartbreaking than the hit-and-run itself was seeing the victim's mother trying to revive her son.

"I saw her when she came out and it was horrible to watch. She was just crying, crying for the baby's name. It was horrible," Cespedes said.

According to the video, it appeared to just be a horrible accident. Police say if the driver had just stopped at the scene, it's likely she wouldn't be facing any criminal charges.

If you spot that Ford Edge or know the woman who was behind the wheel, you are urged to contact Philadelphia Police.

Original post found here
6abc.com/news/boy-struck-killed-by-suv-caught-on-camera/656848/