Death count in fiery Delco crash up to 4, including a pregnant teen, officials say

Four Philadelphia residents, including a pregnant 17-year-old girl, were killed in a car crash Wednesday while fleeing Pennsylvania State Police troopers who were pursuing the vehicle after a reported theft at a Lululemon store in Concord Township, Delaware County officials said Thursday.

Isaiah Miller, 20; Ikeam Rogers, 20; Kalyn Billups, 21; and Tyjana Motley, 17, were killed when the red Ford Taurus they were riding in crashed into a concrete bridge abutment on Route 322 in Boothwyn, according to the state police.

Three other passengers in the car survived the crash and were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment: Kemore Williams, 18; Bishop Young, 20; and a 16-year-old girl investigators did not identify.

Miller, who was driving the car, died at the scene of the crash, as did Billups and Rogers. Motley was taken to Crozer-Chester Medical Center, where doctors performed an emergency C-section in an attempt to save her unborn child, investigators said. Motley died at the hospital.

Troopers had spotted the Taurus about 1:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Brinton Lake Shopping Center in Concord Township while there on patrol. A trooper recognized someone in the group as having been involved in a recent shoplifting incident at the Lululemon there, authorities said. It was unclear which of the seven people the trooper recognized.

When the trooper approached them in an unmarked car, they got back into the car and left the parking lot, state police said. The vehicle had an expired inspection sticker and a temporary paper registration from Delaware that was obscured by a tinted license plate cover.

The trooper followed the Taurus out of the parking lot and attempted to pull the car over on Brinton Lake Road near Mill Road in Thornbury Township, police said.

The vehicle briefly stopped, but its driver then sped away, leading the troopers on a five-minute, seven-mile pursuit, according to state police. During the chase, the driver of the Taurus weaved in and out of lanes and passed other vehicles on the road by driving onto the shoulder, authorities said.

As the Taurus neared the Chichester Avenue overpass on Route 322 in Boothwyn, it passed another vehicle on the right shoulder, police said. The driver lost control of the car and struck the bridge abutment on the opposite shoulder of the road.

The impact started a fire in the car’s engine block, and three people were ejected from the vehicle, authorities said.

State police are continuing their investigation into the chase and the shoplifting incident that preceded it. The troopers involved in the pursuit have been placed on administrative leave while the investigation is underway. Officials declined to identify the troopers involved.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Trooper Eugene Tray at 215-452-5216.