PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia Police have identified the man who was found shot inside an SUV that crashed along Roosevelt Boulevard near Broad Street in North Philadelphia on Wednesday afternoon.
Officials say 25-year-old William Torres-Espinal of Oxford Circle, was found slumped over the steering wheel of the SUV. He was shot in the back and pronounced dead at the hospital a short time later.
Police say, while traveling northbound on the Boulevard, the Honda collided with another car and crashed into the median.
John McDevitt/KYW Newsradio
A woman who lives nearby said she heard a lot of ambulances and sirens, and she came out to see for herself what was going on.
"I was on my way out. I saw a lot of traffic on Route 1. Came back, maybe, an hour later. … And then I went for a walk to examine what was going on, why the expressway was closed. … I saw a lot of police activity. I see something on Broad Street. Just still hearing a lot of stuff."
While police investigated, northbound lanes on the Boulevard were shut down.
Police have made no arrests, but a weapon was recovered. It's still under investigation whether the man was shot on the Boulevard when he was driving, or at another area before crashing.
The Philadelphia Police Department encourages anyone with information about the crash to contact the homicide detectives at 215-686-3334. Anonymous tips can be submitted by text or phone to 215-686-8477.
As in all homicide cases in Philadelphia, a $20,000 reward is offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction.
