A family is demanding justice after a 62-year-old woman was killed in a hit-and-run crash in Philadelphia’s Kensington neighborhood early Wednesday morning.
Police said Jean Rodriguez was driving a Honda Accord across F Street around 5 a.m. when a white Acura RDX carrying two men sped through a red light on Allegheny Avenue and slammed into the driver’s side of her car.
Investigators said the Acura also struck a parked vehicle before the two men got out and ran from the scene. They were last seen running on East Hilton Street.
Rodriguez was taken to a hospital, where she later died, police said.
“My grandmother, she was an amazing woman,” Jeannie Ramos, Rodriguez’s granddaughter, said.
Ramos said she learned about the crash early Wednesday morning on her birthday, just days before the family was supposed to leave for a vacation together.
“My uncle texted me at 7 in the morning and he let me know she was in a bad accident,” Ramos said.
Now, instead of preparing for a trip, the family is preparing for Rodriguez’s funeral.
Neighbors said Rodriguez was known for helping others in the community.
“It’s going to be a hard time for all of us,” neighbor Lilly Bonilla said.
“She always was helping everybody. That’s something that Jeannie had always in her heart, her heart was for everybody not just for her,” Bonilla said.
With no arrests made and few answers about who was responsible, Rodriguez’s family said they want the suspects to come forward.
“If you know in your heart, I feel like you should step forward and at least let us know give us some type of justice,” Ramos said.
Police said they are reviewing surveillance video and asking anyone with information to come forward.
This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC Philadelphia. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC Philadelphia journalist edited the article for publication.