Police say the 33-year-old victim was crossing the street at East Lehigh Avenue and Emerald Street around 3 a.m. when they were struck and dragged roughly 400 feet.
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"More than likely, the person who stuck this 33-year-old pedestrian knew they hit something. Knew they hit someone and to drag the body 400 feet and not even stop or pull over," said Chief Inspector Scott Small.
WATCH: Police release surveillance video of SUV sought in deadly Kensington hit-and-run
Police release surveillance video of SUV sought in deadly Kensington hit-and-run
The victim ended up further down the block closer to Jasper Street and died at the scene due to their injuries.
Police believe the vehicle involved is a dark-colored SUV, possibly a Cadillac Escalade.
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"It appears this is a dark or black SUV, possibly a Cadillac Escalade, and it's going to have front end damage and damage to the grill because we found broken car parts on Lehigh Avenue," Small said.
The driver could be facing a vehicular homicide charge.
"It's a very serious charge. It's a felony -- looking at serious jail time. So, the best thing to do is to turn yourself in once you realize that you did strike someone" Small added.
Police are investigating and are reviewing camera footage to see if the driver ran the light. They are also working to notify the victim's next of kin before releasing their name.
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Neighbors in this part of Kensington say this stretch of road is dangerous and point to the fact that this is the second deadly incident in less than a week.
"We're worried all the time. At nighttime, we're worried about our car obviously getting hit. But most importantly, my neighbors, they have kids, I'm worried about them," said Brandon Piane of Kensington.
The 6abc Data Journalism Team found there have been 113 traffic fatalities so far this year in Philadelphia, which is lower than in years past.
But there have already been 37 hit-and-run deaths, which accounts for about a third of all traffic fatalities.
Anyone with information on the crash is asked to call Philadelphia police.