Dorothea Cathell Obituary, Death;Police have released a surveillance image of a vehicle involved in a hit-and-run incident that resulted in the death of a grandmother in the Overbrook area of Philadelphia.
The accident took place on Friday, September 26, at 5:20 p.m. at the intersection of 54th Street and Lancaster Avenue.
According to family members, 77-year-old Dorothea Cathell was returning from ShopRite with a cart filled with Halloween decorations when she was hit by a black Infiniti bearing a Delaware paper tag, which was traveling east on Lancaster Avenue.
“I was in my bedroom on the second floor when I heard a sound resembling a car crash. It was a loud bang,” recalled Jim Burruss, a witness. “I rushed downstairs. She was lying in the street, and I believe a nurse or someone stopped to perform CPR until the ambulance arrived.”
Following the collision, the driver of the Infiniti reversed down Lancaster Avenue and fled south, dropping off a female passenger at a pizza shop located near 56th Street and Girard Avenue, according to police reports.
Emergency medical personnel transported Cathell to Lankenau Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead at 5:52 p.m. on Friday.
“It’s tragic,” Burruss commented. “Drivers go really fast on this block, making it very dangerous.”
Police have issued a photo of the hit-and-run vehicle, identifying it as a black Infiniti Q50 with cracked molding on the front bumper and grille, dents on the hood, and a shattered windshield.
A memorial has been established for Cathell at the site of the accident.
“My grandmother was a wonderful person, loved by the community. She was always cheerful and positive,” stated Semaj Suggs, Cathell’s grandson. “I am at a loss for words. No words at all.”
If you possess any information regarding the identity of the hit-and-run driver or the whereabouts of the vehicle, please contact the Philadelphia police.
