PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A driver who was street racing hit and killed a man in Port Richmond early Tuesday morning, then fled, police said. They tracked him down in New Jersey. The driver is awaiting trial in Philadelphia for an unrelated case.
Around 12:30 a.m., officers patrolling the area of Castor and Aramingo avenues saw two Dodge Chargers speeding side by side. Then, the driver of a dark blue Charger hit a man who was crossing Castor Avenue.
“It launched the body in an eastbound direction,” said Chief Inspector Scott Small. “The victim was knocked out both of his sneakers, and he was pronounced dead on the scene.”
The victim is believed to be in his 20s or 30s. Police have not released his identity.
The two drivers took off. Police followed them but lost track of them on I-95.
Investigators at the accident scene went through debris that was left behind and determined the vehicle that hit the victim had front-end damage and was missing a side view mirror. Philadelphia police released the information and later learned that police in Pennsauken, New Jersey, stopped a car that matched that description.
“There were two occupants — a 19-year-old driver and a passenger — in that vehicle,” Small said. “So at this time, we believe that Dodge Charger that was stopped in Pennsauken, New Jersey, is the striking vehicle.”
Police took the two people in that car into custody. The driver, Joseph Vannauker, of Levittown, was charged with homicide by vehicle, murder and reckless driving.
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This is not Vannauker's first brush with police. He is currently awaiting trial on riot and conspiracy charges stemming from an incident in October of last year. Prosecutors say he was part of an unruly crowd in an incident in which officials say no one was injured.
A pretrial hearing in that case was scheduled for September. It is unclear if that date will change.
Vannauker's passenger Tuesday, a 16-year-old boy, injured his right hand and forearm. He was taken to the hospital for treatment and released to his parents.
Police are still searching for the driver of the other Dodge Charger that was involved in the street race.
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