Eight women were hospitalized after a sport-utility vehicle plowed into them as they stood in the parking lot of a Bustleton nightclub early Saturday.
Investigators are trying to identify the motorist who fled the scene in a dark-colored or silver Jeep, leaving two victims in critical condition and six others in need of medical attention. The incident occurred at about 2:51 a.m. outside Studio 98 at 9859 Bustleton Ave., police said. The nightclub has an after-hours liquor license and is in a strip mall less than a block from the 7th Police District station.
Police believe that the motorist was involved in a fight inside the club. The altercation also involved several other women and spilled into the parking lot. Hostilities seemed to subside when someone sprayed Mace into the air, said police, who cited statements by the victims. That’s when the SUV struck the victims. The vehicle was last seen traveling northbound on Bustleton Avenue.
The victims were women ranging in age from 20 to 25 years. Two women, ages 21 and 25, were taken to Aria Health-Torresdale in critical condition. The 25-year-old was later upgraded to stable condition, but the 21-year-old remains in critical and has been transferred to University of Pennsylvania Hospital. The six other victims were all listed in stable condition initially and were taken to Aria Health-Torresdale or Nazareth Hospital.
Witnesses described the motorist as a black woman wearing a black dress or body suit, police said. No further information has been released. ••
