As police continue to investigate the horrific car crash that claimed the lives of two teenage girls and a young man in Northeast Philadelphia, friends and relatives of the victims held a vigil in their honor Saturday night.
Sabrina Rhoads, 17, who would have started her senior year at George Washington High School in September, and her friend, 17-year-old Yvette Gonzalez, both died at the scene of the Wednesday night crash on Sandmeyer Lane near Red Lion Road in Bustleton. Felip Hernandez, 20, of Philadelphia, also died at the scene. Bagdon Arutyunov, 17, was ejected from the car and suffered severe head trauma.
Arutyunov remained in critical at Jefferson University Hospital Saturday.
The driver of the Acura, which police have said was traveling more than 75 mph on the dead-end street when it failed to negotiate a turn and struck a tree, showed up to Albert Einstein Medical Center hours after the crash. That man has been identified as Christopher Bloomfield.
The victims were memorialized at the scene of the crash at a vigil Saturday night.
Gonzalez was remembered as a smiling presence and a constant source of happiness.
“I'm gonna miss her so, so much,” friend Lolita Petrova said.
The family of Rhoads attended the vigil and said it was heartbreaking.
“She had everything ahead of her. She was going in the right direction,” Rhoads’ uncle, Rich Lee, said.
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The grandfather of Hernandez urged everyone at the vigil to use the tragedy as a lesson for others.
“We must show them how dangerous this is. This has not been the first, and I know it won't be the last. Because some of us don't learn, and we need to learn,” Felipe Hernandez Sr. said.
Police have urged people in another car seen in surveillance video traveling at a high rate of speed near the Acura at the time of the crash to come forward. Investigators said it was unclear whether the cars had been racing at the time of the crash, but it is being investigated.
The second car is described as a dark blue or black BMW.
Anyone with information in the fatal crash should call the Accident Investigation Division at 215-685-3180.
A GoFundMe.com account has been created for the victims.
