PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia police are investigating a chain reaction crash Thursday morning involving a stolen SUV, a minivan and a SEPTA bus, which slammed into a bank.
The incident happened on Rising Sun Avenue and Martins Mill Road in the Lawndale section of the city. Around 1:30 a.m., the driver of a Hyundai SUV — which was believed to have been stolen in Northeast Philadelphia last week and linked to recent robberies — hit the minivan at a high rate of speed.
The minivan then hit the bus, and the bus went into the front of a PNC Bank, according to investigators.
The driver of the Hyundai got away.
“[The driver] got out of the driver’s seat and got into a Volkswagen that was following the stolen Hyundai before this accident occurred,” said Chief Inspector Scott Small. “We believe the driver knew the driver and occupants of the Volkswagen.”
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Police believe the Hyundai driver and a passenger who was left behind in the SUV are in their late teens or early 20s. The passenger suffered head trauma and is in critical condition at the hospital.
The minivan driver was trapped after the crash. Before crews arrived to rescue him, police believe someone may have stolen money out of his van.
“We’re being told the 31-year-old is a businessman and he had a large amount of cash in that vehicle,” Small said. “We believe that incident, that theft, was caught on our real-time crime cameras that are in the area.”
The minivan driver was taken to the hospital in stable condition.
As for the SEPTA bus, the driver had injuries to his face and head, but he remained alert and spoke with investigators, police said. There were three passengers on board but they left after the crash occurred.
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