The Philadelphia Police Department and the Citizens Crime Commission are renewing their appeal for public assistance in solving a fatal hit-and-run cold case that claimed the life of Sister Paul Mercedes Perreca, IHM, 20 years ago at Cottman Avenue and Hawthorne Street.
Sister Paul was killed on Jan. 9, 2026, at about 6:27 a.m. when a red pickup truck hit her as she crossed Cottman Avenue at Hawthorne Street on her way to a morning Mass at St. Matthew. The truck was traveling west on Cottman and making a left on Hawthorne.
The 61-year-old nun lived at St. Martin’s convent, but spent many nights caring for her mother and stepfather in their Mayfair home.
Witness reports indicate the driver stopped momentarily roughly one block away from the impact site before fleeing the scene. No attempt was made to render aid to Sister Paul, who died from her injuries.
Police are asking the public to recall any information regarding a specific vehicle seen in the area or undergoing sudden repairs in January 2006. The vehicle is described as a 1987 to 1989 Ford F150 pickup truck, two-tone red. It had silver running boards, “F O R D” embossed on the tailgate and an 8-foot bed with no toolbox or ladder rack at the time. The vehicle left the scene with a missing or broken front, driver-side amber lamp.
A reward for information leading to an arrest remains active through the Citizens Crime Commission. Authorities urge anyone who may have lived in the neighborhood at the time, worked in automotive repair or heard details regarding the crash to come forward.
Call the Citizens Crime Commission at 215-546-8477 or the Philadelphia Police Department Crash Investigation Division at 215-685-3180 or 215-685-3181.
Sister Paul Mercedes Perreca entered the convent in 1963 soon after graduating from St. Hubert High School.
At the time of her death, Sister Paul was head of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Education Center at St. Martin’s. The school named its library in Sister Paul’s memory. ••
