The night didn’t turn out as four men expected after they left a Northeast bar and grill at closing time early last Sunday. A motorist in a sport-utility vehicle ran them down in a busy strip mall parking lot.
The unknown driver fled the scene and may have struck the victims intentionally, according to broadcast reports that cited unnamed police sources. The Philadelphia Police Department had not released an official report on the case at press time.
It happened in the parking lot of the Pennypack Shopping Center on the 8200 block of Roosevelt Blvd. at about 2:30 a.m. The four victims, who are in their 20s, had just left Redz Bar and Grill when a dark Chevy Trailblazer or GMC Envoy struck them, then fled the scene. Witnesses reportedly told police that the motorist previously exited the parking lot, drove around the block and re-entered the lot before striking the pedestrians.
One of the victims, 28, suffered a broken leg and was listed in critical condition at Temple University Hospital, police said. Another suffered a possible broken wrist, while a third suffered cuts and bruises. They both were treated at area hospitals and released. Information about the condition of a fourth victim was not available. ••
