In wake of fatal crash, families battle over driver's words

Relatives of those involved in a car crashthat killed three in Northeast Philly are fighting online.

A woman reacts early Thursday morning at the scene after a car hit a tree on Sandmeyer Lane near Red Lion Road in the Somerton section of Philadelphia, killing three young adults and critically injuring one more. According to investigators, around 11:30 p.m. Wednesday night police and fire officials responded to the area and found a black Acura split in half and it's four occupants ejected nearby. Police said three of the victims were pronounced on scene and a fourth was rushed to Aria Torresdale Hospital where he was listed in extremely critical condition. Investigators said they were reviewing security camera footage from a nearby construction company that captured the accident and the car was traveling at a high rate of speed, possibly drag racing at the time of the crash. (For the Inquirer and Daily News/ Joseph Kaczmarek)Read more

by DAVID GAMBACORTA & JENNIFER WRIGHT, Daily News Staff Writers <a href="mailto:gambacd@phillynews.com">gambacd@phillynews.com</a>, 215-854-5994

Published Aug. 8, 2015, 3:01 a.m. ET

THERE'S NO escaping the shadow of grief that falls across your life when a loved one is ripped away suddenly, violently.

Sabrina Rhoads' loved ones have been living with that cold, hard truth since the 17-year-old was killed in a horrific car crash in Bustleton on July 29.

Rhoads was a passenger in a 2007 Acura that police have said was rocketing along Sandmeyer Lane at more than 75 mph when it jumped a curb and exploded into a tree near a construction business.

The impact from the crash cut the vehicle in half.

Two other passengers, Yvette Gonzalez, 17, and Felipe Hernandez, 20, also were killed, and another, Bogdan Arutyanov, 17, was critically injured.

The driver, Christopher Bloomfield, 19, suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

No criminal charges have been filed against Bloomfield, but his behavior on social media has led to a war of words between those close to him and Rhoads' family.

Crystal Smith, Rhoads' sister, posted on Facebook a video of Bloomfield from Snapchat, a social-media platform that allows users to post photos and videos for their cellphone contacts to view.

The short video depicts Bloomfield saying various things like "I'm here, I'm here" and what sounds like "killing like, killing like, killing like Scarface" among other things.

Smith wrote: "This is him [Bloomfield] two days ago living it up while three other families are planning funerals and putting their children to rest. This is who Chris is really."

"I sort of felt bad for him in a way, at first," said Amber Bucca, Rhoads' cousin, noting that he was a young man involved in a tragic situation. "Then, I saw the video, and he doesn't care at all."

Smith received intense backlash in the form of angry, profane Facebook messages.

A woman who claimed to be Bloomfield's girlfriend said in a message to Smith that it was "not her business to post s--- about him or say he killed people. It was an accident and when they [have proof], you're gonna feel sorry for doing this."

A woman claiming to be Bloomfield's friend called Smith heartless and wrote that although he showed "happiness for 10 seconds," he was dying inside and was also a victim.

Another wrote: "ANYBODY THAT HAS SOMETHING TO F----- SAY ABOUT CHRIS COME TO ME ILL [sic] PUT U IN YOUR PLACE . . .F--- OFF ALL YALL[sic] HATERS REAL S---!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Rhoads' family turned the messages and video over to police.

Sgt. Joseph Rossa, the investigator in charge of the case for the Accident Investigation Division, said the material will be reviewed along with other evidence police already have.

Residents who live near the site of the fatal crash said the area is the scene of frequent late-night drag races. An eyewitness told the Daily News last week that another vehicle stopped for a moment after the Acura crashed, and then left the scene.

The investigation into the crash is still ongoing, Rossa said.