An 18-year-old man has been charged with killing an off-duty Philadelphia police officer during a high-speed car crash in June.
Aleksandr Melnikov is charged with vehicular homicide, involuntary manslaughter, recklessly endangering another person, reckless driving and related traffic infractions in the death of Officer Henry Gonski III, who was assigned to Philadelphia International Airport.
Melnikov was speeding and ran through a red light at the intersection of Bustleton Avenue and Rennard Street in the Somerton neighborhood on June 23, the PPD said. It was then that he crashed his BMW into the Hyundai that Gonski was driving, according to the department.
The crash happened shortly before midnight and medics pronounced Gonski dead at the scene a few minutes later at 12:05 a.m.
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The three people in the BMW were uninjured, according to the PPD. After an investigation, Melnikov, who resides in the Bustleton section, was arrested Sept. 30.
Online court records indicate he was released Saturday after posting bail and is awaiting a preliminary hearing. The court records did not list an attorney who could comment on his behalf.
