Two motorists died in a fiery crash with an off-duty church bus on Roosevelt Boulevard on Sunday night, according to police.
The yellow bus, a 2015 Freightliner 4800, was stopped in the northbound outer lanes at a traffic signal at about 9 p.m. when a northbound 2000 Mercedes struck it from behind. The car burst into flames, trapping the driver and one passenger inside.
Witnesses tried to quell the flames with fire extinguishers to no avail, police said. Paramedics pronounced both dead at the scene. The driver was Ramon Rodriguez-Camacho, 32. His passenger was Lorraine Rivera, 38. Both lived on the 1000 block of E. Tioga St.
The 41-year-old woman bus driver was not injured. There were no other occupants of the bus.
Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said at the scene that the Mercedes occupants likely died at impact when their car undermined the rear bumper of the bus. Witnesses told police that the car has been traveling well in excess of the 45 mile-per-hour speed limit prior to the crash.
The bus is reportedly owned by Huntingdon Valley Christian Academy and had been used to drop off dozens of children at a church shortly before the crash. Visit the Philadelphia Police channel on YouTube.com to view surveillance video. Call 215–686-TIPS or text to PPD TIP to report information. ••
