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Updated on: September 17, 2025 / 5:43 PM EDT / CBS Philadelphia
A driver was arrested after causing a crash involving at least 10 vehicles and causing chaos in a Philadelphia neighborhood on Wednesday morning, according to police.
Police said the car that initiated the crash was involved in a carjacking two days ago on Torresdale Avenue.
The accident happened at Tulip Street and Princeton Avenue in Northeast Philly’s Tacony section around 9 a.m., police said. Part of the street remains closed as PECO works on electrical lines brought down during the crash.
According to police, the driver struck at least 10 cars, many of which they said were parked.
Police said the driver ran from the car after the crash, but was eventually arrested. Police said they’ll identify the suspect and announce charges after processing is finished.
Home surveillance video shows a black car speeding down Tulip Street before smashing into another vehicle in the intersection. An officer on patrol tried to pull the car over, but the driver instead backed into that cruiser before taking off.
Chopper 3 was over the accident scene, showing a police presence, and being prepared to be towed.
Chopper 3 video also captured a black Mercedes SUV mangled with the back hatch ripped off and airbags deployed as it leaned against a utility pole.
The crash led to electrical wires left hanging and, at times, sparking while car parts littered a Catholic church’s lawn.
The driver of the SUV was taken to a local hospital in stable condition.
Amy Salvitti is trying to make sense of what happened feet from her home. Her car is totaled after the crash. Salvitti’s husband, Phillip, said it’s the third car they’ve had struck while parked on the block.
“It just sounded like my husband said, almost sounded like a bomb getting dropped because it was so loud,” Salvitti said. “As soon as we heard the tires screeching, we kind of already tied it into [that] it’s a crash because this block is pretty prone to it.”
The Philadelphia Police Department’s crash investigation division is handling the investigation.
Nikki DeMentri and Taleisha Newbill contributed to this report.
Tom Dougherty is a digital content producer for CBS Philadelphia. Before joining CBS Philadelphia, Tom covered sports for NBC Sports Philadelphia. He currently covers breaking news and sports.
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