2 brothers dead, 2 critical after car crashes off I-95 overpass in Philadelphia, police say
Police say a race on I-95 in Philadelphia turned deadly Friday night when a car lost control, veered off an elevated portion of the highway and crashed onto the street below.
The crash killed two men and injured two others in a 2006 Mazda, all of whom were brothers from New Jersey, Pennsylvania State Police said in a news release Saturday.
Witnesses told state police the Mazda was involved in a race with a Dodge Challenger on the interstate when the Mazda driver lost control and went over the edge of the highway. The vehicle came to rest on Castor Avenue near Richmond Street.
Two rear passengers in the Mazda, 23-year-old Aaron Davis of Cranbury, New Jersey, and his brother, 22-year-old Joshua Davis of East Windsor, New Jersey, were not wearing seatbelts, according to state police.
The rollover crash ejected them from the vehicle, and they were later pronounced dead.
State police identified the two younger brothers, who are both 18 years old and were in the driver and front passenger seats, as Nathaniel and Benjamin Davis. Both brothers were taken to nearby hospitals in critical condition, according to PSP. A puppy that was in the back passenger seat was also ejected and found dead at the scene.
Philadelphia police responded to the crash scene before 8:30 p.m., Inspector D F Pace said.
"Two vehicles were traveling at a high rate of speed northbound on 95 when one lost control and fell to the roadway below," Pace said.
Chopper 3 shows the car on its side with fire trucks and medics at the scene.
The Pennsylvania State Police Crash Investigation Division will be investigating the fatal crash.
"Interstate 95 is the jurisdiction of the Pennsylvania State Police. That is why since this accident originated on I-95, the state police have the incident and not Philadelphia police," Pace said. "The state police have everything under control. Philadelphia Police Department is only acting in a support role and will offer any assistance that we can."
