Man Struck, Killed By City Of Philadelphia Vehicle On I-76
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Police say a man was struck and killed by a Philadelphia Streets Department vehicle along the Schuylkill Expressway Saturday night while trying to help his girlfriend.
It happened around 10:00 p.m. on the westbound side of I-76 near Montgomery Avenue, approaching Roosevelt Boulevard.
Police say a 26-year-old man -- who they have identified as Garey Charles -- and his female friend were traveling in two separate vehicles when the girlfriend pulled over after experiencing mechanical problems. The man stopped to lend assistance, got out of his vehicle and had started walking along the side of the road to his girlfriend's vehicle when he was struck by a Philadelphia Streets Department vehicle. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
"I'm still at a total loss and in shock," the victim's mother, Nicole Jackson, tells CBS3 Eyewitness News. "It seems so surreal. He just left me."
His mother says Charles served as a Lance Corporal in the Marines and that he loved serving his country, and lived for his friends and family:
"He just made sure he would do whatever he could do for his family."
The driver of the city-owned vehicle reportedly stopped at the scene, and, at the time, did not show any signs of impairment.
There's no word yet on if any charges will be filed. It's unclear why a Streets Department vehicle was traveling on the Schuylkill Expressway at that time on a Saturday night.
Streets Commissioner David Perri says there no additional details to release about the accident at this time and it remains under investigation.