Off-duty police officer killed in South Philadelphia motorcycle crash, authorities say
PHILADELPHIA - Police say a 27-year-old, off-duty police officer has died after a motorcycle crash in South Philadelphia Tuesday night.
At around 6:45 p.m., police say they responded to the 3300 block of South Broad Street for reports of an auto accident.
Upon arrival, police and medics say they found a 27-year-old man laying on the highway next to a crashed motorcycle.
The 27-year-old was traveling southbound down Broad Street when a vehicle, operated by a 22-year-old woman, was pulling out of the parking lot in an eastbound direction. Authorities say the woman was making a right hand turn to go south when she came into contact with the motorcycle driver.
MORE HEADLINES
- Police: 3 teens injured in daytime shooting near two Philadelphia schools
- Chief Safety Officer for the Philadelphia School District speaks on gun violence in schools
- Cherry Hill police investigate drive-by shooting into a residence
The contact caused the motorcycle driver to lose control and police say he struck the curb at the median, causing his body to then strike a light pole.
Police and medics found the victim's body next to the light pole where they say he had significant trauma to his neck. Medics pronounced him dead on the scene.
The 22-year-old woman had no injuries, and she is being interviewed by accident investigation officers on the scene, according to police. Authorities say the woman remained on scene and is cooperating with investigative officers.
Police say an off-duty officer was killed in a motorcycle accident in South Philadelphia Tuesday night.
After the victim was transported to the medical examiner's office, he was identified as Philadelphia police officer Thomas Munz Jr. who was off-duty at the time of the crash.
Munz was one of the officers involved in the fatal shooting of 27-year-old Walter Wallace Jr. in West Philadelphia in October 2020.
Munz and another officer were seen on body camera footage ordering Wallace, who had a history of long suffered from mental health issues, to drop a knife and they shot him at least 14 times. Authorities say one of the officers drove Wallace to the hospital, but he died a short time later.
The case gained national attention and sparked major protests in Philadelphia that resulted in injured police officers and vandalism of local businesses.
In October 2021, Wallace’s family reached a settlement in a lawsuit filed against the city for his death.