PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The Northeast Philadelphia community on Wednesday came together for a candlelight vigil near the site of Friday’s plane crash.
At the corner of Cottman and Bustleton avenues, neighborhood residents have put together a touching memorial with a mural by artist Roberto Márquez at the center, on which people can sign their names and write messages. Neighbors have boosted the memorial by placing flowers, balloons, devotional candles, religious icons and other items to pay tribute to the seven lives lost and to honor the dozens of lives forever changed.
Six citizens of Mexico were aboard the medical transport jet, including Valentina Guzman Murillo, 11, who had received treatment for a life-threatening condition at Shriner’s Hospital in Philadelphia, and her mother, Lizeth Murillo Ozuna. Both were on their way home, when the plane went down, just moments after taking off.
Also aboard the plane were Dr. Raul Meza, paramedic Rodrigo Lopez Padilla, Capt. Alan Alejandro Montoya Perales and co-pilot Josue Juarez.
The Medical Examiner's Office on Wednesday identified Steven Dreuitt, 37, of Philadelphia as the seventh person killed. First responders at the scene located him in one of the cars that had been traveling on Cottman Avenue at the time of the crash.
In addition, 24 people on the ground were injured. Four are still in the hospital, and two are in critical condition.
One of the organizers of the vigil, Maria Serna, spoke to KYW Newsradio through her son Miguel Andrade, who translated. She said the community must band together and be there for each other, because sometimes city leadership isn't there for them.
“She's basically saying that the point of the event is like—imagine if there was a death in your family. That's what it feels like. We might be from different countries, but we're all one community, and the point was to come out here so we could all come together and mourn and grieve together, but also heal together.”
About 100 people were there for prayers, music, food and drink—and community support at a trying time.
Serna, through Andrade, spoke about the impact of the crash on the community, adding there’s a lack of services in Spanish in the area for a growing immigrant community—particularly mental health services.
“A lot of people don't know how to deal with this,” she said
“There's already a lack of resources in general for people in the city of Philadelphia, even more so in other languages, and a lot of people in their area don't know where to go to get resources.
“They can't make it to Center City or other places where there's a lot more organizations or NGOs for the community, so we want to make sure that people out here know that there are people out here who care and are willing to help. We are out here for each other.”
Neighbors slowly return as businesses reopen
Across Bustleton Avenue, the parking lot at Roosevelt Mall reopened a little before 11 a.m., and shopkeepers returned to businesses on the block as city crews worked to restore the area.
“It feels good. I’m glad things are getting back to normal somewhat,” said Northeast resident Joan Eib, one of a steady trickle of shoppers who returned throughout the day.
After shutting their doors on Friday night, most of the stores were open again on Wednesday. The Raising Cane’s and the Dunkin’, both stand-alone buildings close to the crash site, were still closed.
“I was downtown when I saw one of my friends posting live on Facebook. It is very sad to see people losing their lives and properties,” said Northeast resident Ibrahim Ibrahim, who came with his daughter. He shops at the intersection on a regular basis and said he was glad to be back.
Some shoppers also visited the memorial, like Maria Colon and her daughter, who came with flowers.
“It’s never going to be the same … it’s never going to be the same. The things we saw and heard … the things she saw and heard … nobody should see,” Colon said.
The 11-year-old girl killed in the crash, Valentina Guzman Murillo, had been at Shriners for four months getting medical care she could not get back home. The hospital staff held a somber goodbye on Friday afternoon, knowing Valentina was off to live the rest of her life. About an hour to an hour and a half later, they learned that life had ended.
“These flowers are mainly for our thoughts and prayers for the family of the little girl in the plane and all of the passengers on the plane. And all of the passengers on the plane,” Colon said. “It was just sad to know after such a success story … tragedy.”
It was a staggered opening, with some stores taking a few moments before opening their doors. Brad Neuman reopened the Way Out store right at 11 a.m.
“As soon as the crash happened, we got a call,” Neuman said. “At first, we thought it was a gas explosion. Our immediate response was to leave and get out of there. Definitely a surreal situation just looking around and seeing what happened.”
Neuman says their store suffered no damage.
Meanwhile, NTSB says investigators have gathered all the evidence from the site, so city crews worked through the day on cleanup and road repairs. Around 5:30 p.m., Cottman Avenue was reopened, with some restrictions.
Some houses remain inaccessible because of the damage to the structures, but officials say the temporary shelter at Fels High School has closed, as those people have found longer-term housing options.