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.<\/p>\n
Police say the ambulance driver is suspected of driving under the influence and will face charges.<\/p>\n
According to investigators, the family had called 911 for an unresponsive infant, but left their home on Ditman Street before first responders arrived.<\/p>\n
They were headed to the hospital in a MedStar ambulance around 5:15 a.m. when the crash occurred.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
“It’s horrible,” said Michelle King of Frankford.<\/p>\n
“That’s real sad. I had to walk up here to see it for myself,” said Leon Starks of Wissinoming.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Both were taken to the hospital, where the baby was pronounced dead. The mother remains in critical condition.<\/p>\n
Sources told Action News that the 51-year-old driver is the infant’s grandfather and a longtime employee of MedStar.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
Neighbors expressed heartbreak as they learned the details.<\/p>\n
“So sad. It hurts my heart. I’m just praying for them,” King said.<\/p>\n
“I’m just sorry, and I pray for the family that they can get through this,” Street added.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
We’re waiting to hear back from the medical examiner’s office about the infant’s cause of death.<\/p>\n
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