Father of 3 fatally struck in North Philadelphia hit-and-run

NORTH PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A father of three was struck and killed in a hit-and-run in North Philadelphia and police are searching for the driver.

It all happened around 11:00 p.m. Friday.

The victim, 63-year-old James Howard Barnes, was walking across Allegheny Avenue at the time.

Investigators say the driver of a black Honda Pilot was speeding west on Allegheny.

An officer spotted the man running red lights near 23rd Street and went after him with his police lights on.

"The car just sped out of control, out of nowhere, and my friend pulled my arm and I felt my Uncle Howard's hand on my back and then I heard a loud bump," said Angela Johnson, niece.

At 25th Street, Johnson was in the crosswalk with her uncle when she felt his hand on her back, pushing her out of the way.

"He's heroic. He's a very heroic man and I will always be grateful to him," said Johnson.

Barnes was hit by the SUV and the impact threw him several yards. He was struck again by a GMC but that driver stopped at the scene.

Police say the driver in the Honda kept going, ditched the SUV on the sidewalk and took off on foot on nearby Bambrey Street.

Barnes was a former city sanitation worker, well known in the community and a single father of three adult children.

His oldest child has autism and his youngest, 18-year-old Octavias Barnes, is a freshman at Howard University in Washington D.C.

"Just him being there and guiding us through our lives and struggles, even though he wasn't all that wealthy, it was just the love that counts," he said.

Now Barnes' son is asking for help to find the hit-and-run driver who he has a question for after this tragic incident.

"What caused you to do the things that you did and hurt others that have done nothing to you?" said Octavias.

Meanwhile sources tell Action News that the hit-and-run vehicle was possibly a rental.

Police have not yet made any arrests.