Video shows vehicle slamming into parked cars in Mantua, killing woman

6abc Digital Staff Image
Thursday, December 29, 2022
Video shows vehicle slamming into parked cars, killing woman
Philadelphia police say a woman was killed Wednesday afternoon after the car she was sitting in was struck by a stolen vehicle.

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Police say suspects in a stolen white Jeep are responsible for a multi-car crash that killed a 78-year-old woman in Philadelphia's Mantua section on Wednesday.

The crash was caught on security video.

The vehicle can be seen speeding down the 3700 block of Fairmount Avenue and slamming into two cars parked on the right. The vehicle then flips and flies out of the frame.

Police say that Jeep Grand Cherokee would wind up smashing into a total of six vehicles.

Chopper 6 was over the scene of a crash on Fairmount Avenue on Wednesday.
Chopper 6 was over the scene of a crash on Fairmount Avenue on Wednesday.
Chopper 6 was over the scene of a crash on Fairmount Avenue on Wednesday.

A few hundred yards later the vehicle came to a stop and the occupants fled.

One of the vehicles struck was a silver Mercury SUV with a 78-year-old woman in the driver's seat.

That woman, identified by family members as Julia Abraham, was killed.

Julia Abraham

Her sister was with her and was walking into the corner store to play the lottery at the time of the crash.

"That's my sister, man. My sister. We were two peas in a pod. I love my sister. I love all my family, but that's my sister. I was with her," said Abraham's sister.

Through her extreme grief, she managed to talk about the need for the violence in the city to stop.

Philadelphia police say a woman was killed Wednesday afternoon after the car she was sitting in was struck by a stolen vehicle.

"People are running and hitting people, killing people. I don't even know how I'm going to get through," said her sister.

We also spoke with Wendell Zellars who says Julia used to babysit his children.

"I miss Julia already. She always told me, 'If you want me to babysit, bring me the babies.' I'm going to miss her. We used to joke all the time," said Zellars.

At this point, detectives say the suspects are still on the loose.

Meanwhile, Abraham's sister says a part of herself is now gone.

"It's so sad. Nothing is going to bring her back, but God will take care of her, trust me. She's with God, trust me," said her sister.