A Philadelphia family wants answers after their loved one was hit and killed by a driver who fled from the scene.
According to Philadelphia police, the crash happened around 1:44 a.m. Sunday, May 25 by the 1200 block of Lehigh Avenue. Detectives said a white Honda speeding westbound hit a pedestrian identified as 32-year-old Nafeece Jenkins.
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WATCH HEREJenkins was trying to cross from the north side of Lehigh Avenue to the south side, according to police.
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SIGN UP “The impact threw the pedestrian onto the vehicle and then into the westbound lane of Lehigh Avenue,” police said.
NBC10 later obtained Ring camera video showing the crash. We edited the video to remove the moment the vehicle struck Jenkins due to its graphic nature.
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Officials also said that the vehicle involved in the crash was left damaged and abandoned with the driver believed to have fled on foot.
Jenkins' mother Sharon Carter said her son was on his way home when he was hit.
“I’m numb, because I really can’t believe it happened. Can’t really believe it happened,” Carter said Sunday. “You didn’t have to hit him like a bowling ball and keep going. Just turn yourself in and give closure. That’s all we are asking.”
Jenkins was her eldest son, Carter said. He was also the father of a 1-year-old boy.
“He was loveable. It was hard not to love him. Just his energy itself brings the world together. Just him, being himself,” she said.
Dawn Brown lives along Lehigh Avenue and said she was home when the crash happened.
“The guy took off and ran to the next corner, guy with the car. And took off,” Brown recalled.
Brown said unfortunately, crash incidents and speeding are not new problems in the area.
“I’m scared to cross the street. I can’t walk outside. You got to move fast. You move slow? Boom, they’re going to get you,” she said.
Like the rest of the family, Jenkins’ uncle Derrick Cave is urging the driver to come forward.
“He’s a father. He’s an uncle. He’s a friend. We just ask that you turn yourself in, man. It wasn’t fair to him. It wasn’t fair at all,” Cave said. “It’s hurting the family.”
A Philadelphia police spokesperson confirmed surveillance footage has been collected from the scene, though it is not releasable at this time. Anyone with information on the crash is urged to contact Philadelphia police.
