Runaway SEPTA trolley slams into historic home in Southwest Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A runaway SEPTA trolley crashed into a historic home in Southwest Philadelphia on Thursday night.
"About 40-50 mph. You would think that this was a scene straight out of Will Smith's movie," one person who witnessed the crash said.
Officials said the trolley was out of service when it crashed at about 10:45 p.m. near Island and Woodland avenues. There was a mechanic onboard, but no one was behind the controls at the time, according to SEPTA Chief Operating Officer Scott Sauer.
"For SEPTA, these are very, very concerning very serious incidents," said SEPTA spokesperson Andrew Busch.
Officials still say they don't know how the trolley started moving.
The trolley was coming from the SEPTA Elmwood Depot, about half a mile away from the home.
Officials said the trolley derailed, struck an SUV, injuring the two people inside, and then slammed into the historic home.
The woman living inside the house called 911. SEPTA officials said she was not injured.
Official say the mechanic on board did suffer injuries but is expected to be OK.
The trolley is just about twice as long as the historic home it crashed into. The house, known as the Blue Bell Tavern, is owned by the city and dates back to 1766. It was the location of a battle during the Revolutionary War, according to the Darby Creek Valley Association.
"It looks to me like there is really no structural damage," said John Hagis, who started Friends of Blue Bell with his wife, Jan, in the 1980s to preserve the home.
He says the historic tavern was built in 1766 and it's a place George Washington and his soldiers would often go.
"It's kind of a connection with what we have in the past. Charles Lloyd who was in the innkeeper there was always involved in anti-slavery activities," said Hagis.
The oldest section of the structure still stands and was also a main stagecoach road between Philadelphia and the southern colonies. The building was added to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places in 1958.
"The tenants living in the historic home are safely in temporary accommodations. Our staff and partners are working to support them through this difficult time," the city's Parks and Recreation Department said in a statement.
SEPTA is now working to get to the bottom of what went wrong.
"Our trolleys, particularly those in the city travel at street speeds, relatively low speeds, making frequent stops. They're built very sturdy...about 40-year-old cars that have been very durable and reliable," Sauer said.
Thursday night's trolley crash is the 5th SEPTA crash in less than a week.
SEE ALSO: 72-year-old passenger dies after SEPTA buses crash in Philadelphia; at least 19 others injured
Last Friday a 72-year-old passenger was killed after a SEPTA bus crashed into the back of another.
In total, there have been more than 24 people injured in all of the crashes.
"We're trying to reinforce that it is safe to travel on SEPTA and I know that's difficult for a lot of people to hear right now," said Busch.
After this string of accidents, SEPTA says it's reviewing its training procedures, reinforcing safety procedures with staff, and is looking to add more safety officers at night.
