Driver strikes 3 U. Darby students: Witnesses say car possibly speeding
Instead of wiling away the afternoon after an early dismissal from school yesterday, three middle-schoolers in Upper Darby were seriously injured when they were hit by a car, police said.
Two of the students were standing on Copley Road near Marshall waiting to cross the street about 12:10 p.m., police said.
A 42-year-old woman driving a Dodge Charger swerved to avoid a traffic jam, crossed two lanes of traffic, hit two boys, continued driving on the sidewalk and hit a third boy, said Upper Darby Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood.
A short distance away from where the driver struck the children, Chitwood said, "the driver then struck a . . . Subaru in the rear and drove the Subaru into a Mercedes Benz parked on Marshall."
"Her vehicle then traveled another 30 yards and stopped," Chitwood said.
Jean Gresseau, 20, was working his job at AutoZone when he went outside his store to investigate some commotion.
"I heard what sounded like three accidents," Gresseau said.
"I started sprinting towards the door and saw a kid in the middle of street and he was moaning. It was unreal."
The victims were identified as Jameal Brunswick, 13; Tyler Lowery, 12, and Philmon Beyene, 12. They are all seventh-graders at Beverly Hills Middle School, in Upper Darby, Chitwood said.
Brunswick was listed in critical condition at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Lowery was listed in serious but stable condition at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Beyene was listed in critical condition at CHOP, Chitwood said.
Police did not identify the driver of the Charger last night but said they expected to file charges today, Chitwood said.
Witnesses said it looked as if the driver had been speeding, Chitwood said.
The driver was taken to Delaware County Memorial Hospital where blood was taken for toxicology tests, Chitwood said.
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