Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Woman Jogging Killed by SEPTA Route 13 Trolley at 45th and Chester

A woman jogging in West Philadelphia was struck and killed by a SEPTA trolley on Monday morning at the intersection of South 45th Street and Chester Avenue, police and transit officials said. The crash happened at about 9:15 a.m., when an eastbound Route 13 trolley struck the woman as she jogged southbound on 45th Street, Philly Voice reported. She was pronounced dead at the scene at 9:28 a.m., NBC10 Philadelphia reported. Officials had not released her name by Monday afternoon, and they did not say how old she was.

What officials have said

Police said the woman was jogging southbound on 45th Street when the eastbound trolley hit her on Chester Avenue. SEPTA said no riders or employees were injured. NBC10 reported that about a dozen or more passengers were aboard the trolley at the time. Philadelphia police and SEPTA's System Safety Division are investigating the crash together, and neither agency has announced a cause.

"Our thoughts are with the family and loved ones of the person who lost their life as we investigate this tragic accident," SEPTA spokesperson Andrew Busch said in a statement. SEPTA said it has also made support services available for the trolley operator.

Service stopped, then restored

Route 13 trolleys were diverted while crews worked at the scene, and SEPTA asked riders to expect delays and crowded conditions. Shuttle buses ran from the 40th Street Portal to 49th Street and Woodland Avenue, and trolleys used Woodland Avenue at 49th Street while the intersection was closed to them. SEPTA said the scene was cleared shortly after noon and trolleys resumed normal operations, with some residual delays into the afternoon.

A second hard day on the same system

The fatal crash came less than a day after gunfire at SEPTA's 56th Street station, also in West Philadelphia, wounded a 14-year-old boy and two men on Sunday evening. Police have not connected the two incidents in any way. One involved a shooting that is still under investigation, and the other is a crash investigation. For riders on the west side of the city, though, the two events landed back to back on the same transit system in under 24 hours.

What is still unknown

Investigators have not said why the woman was in the trolley's path, whether the trolley had a green light, or what the operator saw before the crash. Her identity will be released by officials once her family has been notified. Anyone who saw the crash can contact Philadelphia police. This article will be updated when officials release her name or a finding on the cause.