Two men arrested for a crash in Abington Township where they ran a red light, hitting a woman and child, were attempting to flee from police during a traffic stop moments before, court documents reveal.
A woman from Montgomery County is one of the two victim’s hurt after police say the two men, who were under the influence of marijuana, crashed into her car and a child on Friday, Oct. 11.
“The little things add up and they made really bad choices and unfortunately, you know, the repercussions are the rest of us have to deal with those things,” Mary Corbo, a victim of the crash said.
The crash happened just before 4 p.m. on Oct. 11 at the intersection of Jenkintown Road and Abington Avenue in the Glenside section of Abington Township, officials said.
Get top local stories in Philly delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC Philadelphia's News Headlines newsletter.
Police said that a 21-year-old man, identified as Jason MacDonald, was driving a dark-colored Chevrolet Malibu recklessly at a high rate of speed when he did not stop at a red light.
When MacDonald went through the red light, he crashed into Corbo’s silver Sedan which was legally passing through the intersection at a green light, police said.
“As I started to cross the intersection, my peripheral vision, I saw something coming so I hit my break as fast as I could. Then I spun,” Corbo said. “When I got out of the car to try to like calm down and breathe, I saw a 13-year-old girl on the ground.”
Local
Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood.
MacDonald and his passenger, identified as 21-year-old Goldwin Prince, then got out of the car and ran away from the scene on foot.
Video from a bystander was taken of the crash and posted to social media and is now a part of the police investigation.
Court documents revealed that before the crash, a police officer in an unmarked police vehicle attempted to conduct a traffic stop in the area of Jenkintown Road and Edgley Avenue of MacDonald’s car.
According to the court documents, MacDonald's car had tint so dark on all sides, including the front and rear windshield, that you could not see inside.
The officer reported that the registered owner of the car had a suspended license as well.
It was as the officer attempted to make contact with the car that it fled at a high rate of speed, ran the red light and hit Corbo and the 13-year-old girl.
When MacDonald was captured by police he had the keys to the Malibu, the court documents stated. They also said a partially smoked marijuana cigar was in plain view in the center console of the car, a resealable bag labeled “Jet Fuel Gelato” containing weed was found immediately outside the car and the interior was emanating a strong odor of freshly smoked marijuana.
Further, MacDonald told police that he had been smoking marijuana since he woke up that day, including when he started driving the car, the court documents stated.
“They didn’t have to get in a car and go that fast,” Corbo said. “If you’re going to smoke weed, why would you be driving?”
Both MacDonald and Prince were arrested by Abington officers, officials reported. Prince was found illegally carrying a loaded handgun with hollow point bullets.
Police said that MacDonald is expected to be charged with several felonies including aggravated assault, reckless driving and fleeing an accident.
Prince is expected to be charged with firearms violations and possession of marijuana.
Despite being a victim of the crash Corbo said she would like to speak with the men to tell them there's hope.
"I would like to talk to them as though they matter and show them respect. But also make sure that they understand what they did was wrong," Corbo said. "I can only believe that that might help."
Sign up for our Breaking newsletter to get the most urgent news stories in your inbox.
