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Police: Booze and speed fueled Center City crash that took young mother's life

A 47-year-old Rhawnhurst man was drunk and doing at least 59 mph when he drove his pickup truck into two pedestrians at 11th and Market Streets in November, a crash that killed a 22-year-old woman and severely injured another, court papers allege.

Catherine Cardoza (left) was in critical condition after being hit by a pickup truck at 11th and Market in November. Her friend, Anna Gonzalez, 22, of the 700 block of W. Roosevelt Boulevard, was killed in the accident.
Catherine Cardoza (left) was in critical condition after being hit by a pickup truck at 11th and Market in November. Her friend, Anna Gonzalez, 22, of the 700 block of W. Roosevelt Boulevard, was killed in the accident.Read more

A 47-year-old Rhawnhurst man was drunk and doing at least 59 mph when he drove his pickup truck into two pedestrians at 11th and Market Streets in November, a crash that killed a 22-year-old woman and severely injured another, court papers allege.

Authorities said in an affidavit of probable cause that David Gonzalez, 47, of the 2300 block of Shelmire Street, had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.10 percent shortly after the Nov. 13 crash, which occurred around 2:19 a.m. The legal driving limit is 0.08 percent.

They also alleged that the skid marks visible on Market Street - and the fact that one of the victims was found lying more than 130 feet from the point of impact - suggest Gonzalez's minimum speed was 59 mph. The speed limit on Market near 11th Street is 25 mph, the affidavit says.

Gonzalez surrendered to police last week and was charged with homicide by vehicle, aggravated assault by vehicle, DUI, and related offenses, Philadelphia Police said Tuesday.

He had been released from custody after posting bail, according to court records. Attempts to reach him Tuesday were unsuccessful. Court records did not list a lawyer for him.

One of the victims, Anna Gonzalez - no relation to David Gonzalez - died from her injuries two days after the crash, police said.

The other victim, identified by family as Catherine Cardoza, 22, was taken to Hahnemann University Hospital in critical condition. A hospital spokesman said Tuesday that she had been treated and released. Attempts to reach her family Tuesday were unsuccessful.

Cardoza's brother, Ervin Cardoza, said after the crash that his sister and Anna Gonzalez were leaving the Lucky Strike bowling alley, at 1336 Chestnut St., to meet him and his mother to get a ride home. Cardoza said that his sister and Gonzalez both worked at the lanes, but that his sister was not working that night.

Ervin Cardoza said that his sister was an artist saving to attend college, and that Gonzalez was a mother of three.

The affidavit said the women were struck in the crosswalk on the east side of Market Street around 2:19 a.m.

Before the crash, the traffic signal for Market Street was green, the affidavit says, suggesting that the women - who were walking northbound across Market - were crossing against the light.

Before reaching the crosswalk, the affidavit says, David Gonzalez hit the brakes of his 2015 Dodge Ram pickup truck. But investigators determined it would have taken 300 feet for a sober driver to stop, given Gonzalez's speed and the conditions, the affidavit says.

Gonzalez did not stop; he ran over Anna Gonzalez, the affidavit says, then struck Cardoza, sending her sliding at least 130 feet - so far that the security camera footage of the crash did not capture where she came to rest, according to the affidavit.

David Gonzalez remained at the scene that night and submitted to a blood test. It was not immediately clear why the decision to charge him took nearly two months.

According to the Medical Examiner's Office, 46 pedestrians were killed in auto-pedestrian crashes in Philadelphia in 2016.

cpalmer@phillynews.com

215-854-2817

@cs_palmer