Police search for hit-and-run driver in South Philly, bicyclist injured
The impact caused the victim to be thrown from his bicycle.
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Police are searching for a hit-and-run driver in South Philadelphia who injured a bicyclist.
It happened just after 11 p.m. Sunday on South 8th and West Ritner streets.
Police say a 41-year-old man was riding his bicycle when he was struck.
One of the victim's shoes and the bicycle seat from the bike he was riding when he was hit were still on South 8th Street on Monday morning.
Action News obtained surveillance video of Sunday's incident.
Surveillance Video of Hit-and-Run:
Police radio at the time was heard saying, "Patient flew about 20 feet in the air." Action News was told the impact of the crash caused the bicyclist to be thrown approximately 50 feet.
Police say the victim was hit by what is believed to be a black car that didn't stop.
Roughly 10 seconds later, an officer stopped at the scene and located the victim.
The 41-year-old was taken to the hospital in serious but stable condition.
"I heard a big boom and at first I thought it was a bus maybe hit the bump," Robert Campbell, a South Philadelphia block captain, said.
Campbell says hit-and-run drivers are one of the problems they're facing in the area.
"It's just dangerous down here; they hit cars, they keep on going, they never stop. You got to catch them," Campbell said.
While the bicyclist survived, the 6abc Data Journalism Team discovered that the number of cyclists getting hit and killed is increasing.
The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia reports that seven bicyclists have been hit and killed so far this year.
That's up 75% from four bicyclists hit and killed this time last year.
It's also the highest number since the Coalition started reporting this data in 2016.
Police say they will continue checking surveillance cameras in the area.
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