NBC10’s Siobhan McGirl is in the parking lot of Northeast Philadelphia’s Roosevelt Mall Wednesday as workers prepare to reopen stores days after a medical jet crashed into the neighborhood.
Philadelphia police have confirmed the identity of the man who was killed on the ground when a medical jet crashed in Northeast Philly.
On Wednesday, Feb. 5, officials identified the man as 37-year-old Steven Dreuitt of Philadelphia.
On Friday, Jan. 31, shortly after 6 p.m., Dreuitt, his longtime partner named Dominique, and his son were driving to the Macy’s store at the Roosevelt Mall on Cottman Avenue. Suddenly, a Learjet 55 that had just departed from the Northeast Philadelphia Airport less than three miles away plummeted to the ground, causing a massive explosion and a fireball that engulfed everything in its path.
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First responders discovered several vehicles along the 2300 block of Cottman Avenue after the crash. They then found Dreuitt's body inside one of the vehicles.
While Dreuitt was killed, his longtime partner Dominique was badly injured, suffering burns to 70 percent of her body, according to her cousin Shantelle Fletcher.
“She is in a medically induced coma,” Fletcher told NBC10 on Sunday. “She’s responding well to medication.”
Dreuitt's son also remains hospitalized, according to his family.
The crash also killed all six people on board the medical jet, including Valentina Guzman Murillo, a girl who was returning to Mexico after receiving treatment for a life-threatening illness at Shriners Children’s Philadelphia.
Murillo’s mother, Lizeth Murillo Ozuna, Captain Alan Alejandro Montoya Perales, co-pilot Josue de Jesus Juarez Juarez, Dr. Raul Meza Arredondo, and paramedic Rodrigo Lopez Padilla, were also on board.
The flight was traveling to Missouri and would have continued to Tijuana, Mexico.
On Thursday, Feb. 6, Philadelphia City Councilmembers held a moment of silence in honor of the victims and those impacted by the plane crash.
Officials have not yet determined a cause of this crash.
But, on Sunday, investigators recovered the black box, or cockpit voice recorder (CVR), from the plane. It was located at the site of the initial impact -- near Cottman Avenue and Rupert Street -- 8 feet deep inside crater.
The NTSB also recovered the aircraft's enhanced ground proximity warning system (EGPWS).
On Monday, in a visit to the site of the crash, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy noted the investigation is still ongoing into the cause of the crash and officials are still analyzing those devices as they seek answers.
City officials held a town hall meeting for those impacted by this crash.
Also, on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025, the City of Philadelphia presented a Multi-Agency Resource Center in the Scattergood Building at Friends Hospital, located at 4641 Roosevelt Blvd. from 1 to 5:30 p.m.
The center hosts representatives from the Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management, the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, PennDot, the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, the Pennsylvania Insurance Department, the American Red Cross Southeastern Pennsylvania and the Merakey Behavioral Health Urgent Care.
The city is also asking anyone whose property was affected by the plane crash to contact the Office of Emergency Management.
If you believe your property has been effected, officials ask that you complete a survey located at www.phila.gov/damagereporter to help OEM determine the areas and extent of damage.
You can also dial 3-1-1 to complete your damage survey over the phone.
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