Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.Just minutes after police tried to halt the alleged stolen motorcycle, two persons were killed in a high-speed collision on Roosevelt Boulevard on Wednesday night.
The collision happened in the city’s 8th District on June 25 at around 8:55 p.m. A minivan making a lawful left turn from southbound Roosevelt Boulevard onto eastbound Comly was struck by the motorcycle, known as Unit 1, which was heading north at a high speed when it ran a red light at Comly Road, according to the preliminary investigation.
Both the motorcyclist and the passenger were thrown from the motorcycle due to the impact’s force. Both were declared dead at the spot after suffering severe injuries. During the incident, the minivan, designated as Unit 2, made slight touch with a third vehicle. There were no recorded casualties in Units 2 or 3.
Robert J. Donahue, 34, of the 2300 block of Allegheny Avenue, has been recognized by the police as the motorcyclist. Until the passenger’s family is notified, their identity has not been made public.
Before the deadly collision, police tried to stop
Investigators verified that minutes earlier, a Philadelphia police officer assigned to the department’s Dirt Bike/ATV Detail had tried to start a car stop. After figuring out that the motorcycle was reported stolen, the officer turned on the overhead lights at Red Lion Road and Roosevelt Boulevard.
Whether the motorcyclist accelerated in reaction to the stop attempt is still unknown. Authorities have not disclosed whether a chase took place before the collision.
Internal Affairs and the Crash Division are still investigating.
The circumstances behind the deadly occurrence are being examined by the Internal Affairs Bureau (IAB) and the Crash Investigation Division (CID). The crash and the circumstances surrounding the police encounter are both under investigation.
As of yet, no additional information has been made public.
