Infant dies after ambulance crash in Frankford section of the city

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — A crash involving an ambulance in Philadelphia’s Frankford section has left a 2-month-old baby dead, police confirmed.

Authorities say the infant was inside a privately operated ambulance when it collided with a car and overturned around 5:15 a.m. Sunday at the intersection of Harbison Avenue and Torresdale Avenue.

Police report the ambulance was traveling southbound on Torresdale Avenue at a high rate of speed and was not operating in emergency status, with no lights or sirens activated.

Investigators say the ambulance ran a red traffic signal and struck a red Honda Accord driven by a 25-year-old man who was traveling eastbound on Harbison Avenue through a green light.

The Honda was struck on the driver’s side door, causing the ambulance to overturn.

The force of the crash ejected both the infant and the child’s mother through the front windshield, police said.

Authorities also revealed officers were initially responding to a separate call for an unresponsive infant at a home on the 6600 block of Ditman Street.

Before police arrived, family members placed the baby into a private ambulance in an attempt to transport the child to the hospital.

Philadelphia Fire Department medics transported both the mother and the infant to a nearby hospital.

The baby, identified as Marian Harris, was pronounced dead just after 6 a.m.

The mother suffered severe head trauma and remains in critical condition.

The driver of the Honda Accord refused medical treatment at the scene.

Police transported the 51-year-old male operator of the ambulance to Jefferson Torresdale Hospital for evaluation.

The driver of the ambulance was taken into custody and will face charges, including driving under the influence and related offenses.

The Crash Investigation Division continues to investigate.

In a statement, a representative for Medstar EMS confirmed the crash involved one of its employees and one of its vehicles, adding the company is actively conducting its own investigation.