A cyclist was injured early Sunday morning after being struck by a vehicle that left the scene on North Broad Street in Philadelphia, while witnesses who stopped to help said they waited for police for nearly an hour without seeing officers arrive.
The crash happened in the 5400 block of North Broad Street, near Jefferson Einstein Philadelphia Hospital. Dashcam footage from a rideshare vehicle captured the collision and the moments afterward.
Adam Maiale, who was riding in the vehicle with his girlfriend, said they stopped after seeing the cyclist get hit. Several people at the scene helped move the injured man out of the roadway so he would not remain in the path of traffic.
Maiale said the cyclist had a cut on his head but was awake and able to speak. He also said the man appeared unable to remember what had happened immediately before the crash.
Because the hospital was directly across Broad Street, medical help arrived relatively quickly. Maiale estimated that an ambulance reached the scene in about 10 minutes.
The response from police was different.
Maiale said he, his girlfriend and another witness called for police assistance several times. According to his account, the callers experienced delays before getting through, and witnesses ultimately waited roughly 45 minutes to an hour without an officer arriving.
By about 1:45 a.m., Maiale said he and his girlfriend had to leave because of the late hour, although other people had remained at the scene earlier to help the cyclist.
The driver involved in the crash did not remain at the location. Police are investigating and said the vehicle that left the scene was believed to be orange or possibly burgundy.
The incident also left witnesses concerned that potentially useful information could be lost if the driver is not identified. Maiale said he believes he may have information that could assist investigators in determining who was behind the wheel.
For him, the issue goes beyond the initial emergency response.
Witnesses had already stepped in to help the cyclist after the collision, and Maiale said he wanted the driver to be held accountable for leaving the scene.
Police were also asked why officers did not arrive after multiple calls for assistance. The 35th Police District is located less than a mile from the crash location on Broad Street, but authorities did not provide an explanation for the reported delay.
The investigation remains ongoing. At the latest available update, authorities had not publicly identified the driver or released additional information about the cyclist’s condition.
Anyone with information that could help investigators identify the vehicle or driver should contact Philadelphia police.
