PHILADELPHIA — A 2-month-old infant is dead and the mother critically injured after a private ambulance crashed early Sunday in the Frankford section of Philadelphia.
Police say the ambulance driver is suspected of driving under the influence and will face charges.
According to investigators, the family had called 911 for an unresponsive infant, but left their home on Ditman Street before first responders arrived.
They were headed to the hospital in a MedStar ambulance around 5:15 a.m. when the crash occurred.
Surveillance video obtained by Action News shows the ambulance entering the intersection at Torresdale and Harbison Avenues, striking a car, hitting a pole, and flipping onto its side. The other vehicle then crashed into a building.
“It’s horrible,” said Michelle King of Frankford.
“That’s real sad. I had to walk up here to see it for myself,” said Leon Starks of Wissinoming.
Police say the victims – a 33-year-old mother and her infant daughter, identified as Marian Harris – were thrown through the windshield from the force of the impact.
Both were taken to the hospital, where the baby was pronounced dead. The mother remains in critical condition.
Sources told Action News that the 51-year-old driver is the infant’s grandfather and a longtime employee of MedStar.
Investigators say he was driving under the influence at a high rate of speed, without lights or sirens, and ran a red light before hitting a Honda Accord driven by a 25-year-old man.
“It was like several different noises, and I wasn’t sure exactly what it was, and I came outside, and I just saw a bunch of police cars coming into the neighborhood,” said Milton Street of Frankford.
Neighbors expressed heartbreak as they learned the details.
“So sad. It hurts my heart. I’m just praying for them,” King said.
“I’m just sorry, and I pray for the family that they can get through this,” Street added.
Police say the ambulance driver was also taken to the hospital and is facing charges, including DUI. The driver of the Honda refused treatment at the scene.
We’re waiting to hear back from the medical examiner’s office about the infant’s cause of death.
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