Philadelphia

Boy ‘very critically' hurt in chain-reaction crash in Northeast Philly

A 5-year-old boy was critically injured in a chain reaction crash in Northeast Philadelphia on Monday, Jan. 13, police said

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A boy is in critical condition after police said his mother was speeding and crashed into three cars that were stopped in Philadelphia. NBC10’s Yukare Nakayama has the details.

A 5-year-old boy is fighting for his life after the speeding vehicle he was in caused a chain-reaction crash in Northeast Philadelphia Monday night, police said.

Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small told NBC10 three vehicles -- later identified as a Kia, Nissan and Range Rover -- were stopped at a red light on Aramingo Avenue at Wakeling Street around 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 13, 2025. Suddenly a fourth vehicle -- a Ford Taurus -- that was speeding down Aramingo Avenue rear-ended at least one of the stopped cars, police crash investigators said.

A 5-year-old boy who was inside the Ford with his mother suffered severe head injuries. He was rushed to St. Christopher's Hospital where he was listed "in very critical condition fighting for his life right now," Small said after the crash.

"Hopefully he survives the injuries to his head," Small said.

No one else who was inside the Kia, Nissan or Range Rover involved in the crash was seriously injured, Small said. That includes a 6-year-old girl who was shaken up, according to her father, but luckily not hurt.

"It's very fortunate for the others that they were not injured," Small said.

The striking Ford -- which was being operated by the 5-year-old's 30-year-old mother -- struck with such force that one of the wheels came off of it, police said. Crash investigators preliminarily said that speed played a role in the crash.

"It's clearly posted that the speed limit is 30 mph, but crash investigators preliminarily believe that speed was a factor," Small said. "The striking vehicle, they believe, was traveling at a high-rate of speed."

Surveillance video obtained by NBC10 shows cars crashing into frame, leaving a trail of debris on the road.

No arrests have been made though police continued to investigate and interview the drivers and passengers involved in the crash, as well as witnesses.

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