Philly nursing student killed after Uber crashes on NYE; victim's father speaks out
PHILADELPHIA - A New Year's Eve tragedy unfolded when a young woman was killed while riding as a passenger in an Uber in Philadelphia.
The father of 28-year-old Kiyonna Sutton says she was just about to graduate from nursing school and had recently bought a house. Kiyonna's family is devastated and searching for answers as Philadelphia police investigate the crash. Her father spoke to FOX 29's Steve Keeley.
Surveillance video of the crash that killed Kiyonna, on New Year's Eve night, showed lots of police, fire department crews, and medics arriving along Ogontz Avenue.
One week later, shattered glass still fills the spot along Ogontz Ave, while anguish fills the heart of Kiyonna's dad. Especially knowing that there are signs along the very curving stretch of Ogontz Ave that say "No Truck Parking on This Street 6 p.m. to 6 a.m."
Kiyonna was a passenger in an Uber at 10:45 p.m. that Philadelphia police say was navigating a bend.
The Honda Accord, driven by a pregnant woman, ran under an 18-wheeler that was parked on a residential street, and she died at the scene.
"That truck shouldn't have been parked on a residential street at all," said Calvin Sutton, Kiyonna Sutton's father. "The night it happened, she opted not to drive because New Year's is kinda crazy. So she got in an Uber thinking it was the safe thing for her, and it wasn't."
FOX 29 spoke with another rideshare driver working that night who had passed the same exact spot just 15 minutes before the deadly crash.
"There were two large trucks parked at Nedro and Ogontz," said Sante Shelton, an Uber driver. "When I saw the truck there, it was very dangerous. It was very unsafe. I didn't like that truck parked there myself. I had to make a wide turn myself because you couldn't see around it."
Tuesday night, FOX 29 saw another truck parked right next to the "No Truck Parking on This Street 6 p.m. to 6 a.m." sign, sticking out over the marked bicycle lane.
Philadelphia police, still investigating the fatal crash, say the unoccupied tractor-trailer Kiyonna's Uber hit was awaiting roadside assistance.
"They said that it's still an ongoing investigation, and I'm just at a loss for words that this situation happened," said Calvin Sutton.
Kiyonna's funeral was on Monday.
She worked at Children's Hospital and was scheduled to graduate from nursing school in April. Her family and friends had planned a big celebration then, not to say goodbye forever now to somebody so young with so much promise.
An Uber spokesperson sent the following statement to FOX 29 Tuesday night:
"We’re incredibly saddened by this horrible crash and are keeping those involved in our thoughts. We’re continuing to look into this and are standing by to assist in the investigation."