PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania — A family is grieving and demanding answers after a 62-year-old grandmother was killed in a hit-and-run crash in the Kensington neighborhood — and the two men responsible are still on the run.
It happened around 5 a.m. Wednesday on Allegheny Avenue and F Street.
Police said Jean Rodriguez was driving her Honda Accord across F Street when a white Acura RDX ran a red light on Allegheny Avenue and slammed directly into the driver’s side of her car.
The force of the crash was so violent that the Acura also hit a parked vehicle nearby.
Then, without stopping to help, the two men inside got out and ran. They were last seen fleeing on East Hilton Street.
Rodriguez was rushed to a hospital, where she later died from her injuries.
‘My grandmother was an amazing woman’
For her granddaughter Jeannie Ramos, the news came at the worst possible moment.
It was her birthday.
“My uncle texted me at 7 in the morning and let me know she was in a bad accident,” Ramos said.
The family had been days away from leaving on a vacation together. Instead, they are now planning a funeral.
“My grandmother, she was an amazing woman,” Ramos said.
A neighbor who lived to help others
Those who knew Rodriguez in the Kensington community say her loss goes far beyond her family.
Neighbor Lilly Bonilla described her as someone who was always there for the people around her.
“She always was helping everybody. That’s something that Jeannie had always in her heart — her heart was for everybody, not just for her,” Bonilla said.
“It’s going to be a hard time for all of us,” she added.
Family pleads for the suspects to come forward
With no arrests made and no clear answers about who was behind the wheel, Rodriguez’s family has a direct message for the two men who ran.
“If you know in your heart, I feel like you should step forward and at least let us know — give us some type of justice,” Ramos said.
Police said they are currently reviewing surveillance footage from the area and are asking anyone with information to come forward.
How to help
If you were in the area of Allegheny Avenue and F Street on Wednesday morning around 5 a.m. and saw anything, Philadelphia police are asking you to contact them immediately.
A family lost their grandmother. A community lost a neighbor. The least the suspects can do is give them the answers they deserve.
Do you think hit-and-run drivers should face tougher penalties? Have you seen anything that could help this family get justice? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
