Woman struck twice in deadly hit-and-run, search for driver in Cobbs Creek

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Philadelphia police are looking for the driver who struck a 25-year-old woman during a deadly hit-and-run in the Cobbs Creek section of the city.

The incident happened around 8:30 p.m. Friday on Cobbs Creek Parkway near Catherine Street.

Police said 25-year-old Avante Reynolds was leaving the park, crossing westbound on foot, when she was struck by a vehicle traveling northbound. The driver fled the scene traveling northbound on Cobbs Creek Parkway.

The victim then fell into the southbound lane where she was struck by a second vehicle.

The driver of the second striking vehicle remained on location.

The woman was taken to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center by police where she was pronounced dead a short time later.

Police believe the hit and run driver was in a light-colored vehicle. Authorities confirm they have found certain car parts that fell off the first striking vehicle.

They are hopeful those parts will point them in the right direction.

RELATED: Authorities search for driver involved in hit and run in Cobbs Creek

After being struck by the hit-and-run driver, the victim then fell into the southbound lane where she was hit by a second vehicle.

The victim's father is pleading with the driver to come forward.

"Turn yourself in. Please give us closure," said Cravante Reynolds, the father of Avante.

Avante had just given birth to a baby boy two months ago, according to her father.

"We went to the hospital, they put us in a little room and came in and told me my daughter was gone," said Reynolds.

Her uncle said he is pained that the little boy will grow up without his mom.

"I can't wait to go see my baby, that's all she talked about that first born of hers, and it really hurts to see a woman get hit twice. Not once, twice," said Ernest Bowen, Avante's uncle.

Resident Hanifah Diarra tells Action News that drivers speed up and down the parkway all day, and while there is access for pedestrians coming out of the park, there is nothing to slow traffic down.

"They don't have a stop sign. My neighbor got hit eight years ago. They say this is a highway. They need to put a stop sign right there. You can see it. You can see where the children go. There's a playground, tennis courts, basketball courts. No stop sign," Diarra said. "They speed up and down here all the time. Now somebody got killed."

People were seen arriving to the site of the hit-and-run crash late Friday night. One man was in tears and told Action News he was the victim's boyfriend.

If you have any information police want to hear from you.