A downed pole and other debris were still at a Philly intersection on Monday, more than two days after a carjacking suspect smashed into another car there, causing significant damage to the area.
The initial crash occurred at 19th Street and Spring Garden Avenue in the early morning hours of Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025, with surveillance video capturing the violent crash from multiple angles.
The two cars involved both spun out of control, downing poles and smashing into parked cars.
NBC10 was there on Saturday to see significant damage to the intersection. On Monday, NBC10 returned to find that debris, including a downed pole, were still not cleared up.
The traffic lights were also blinking red, causing confusion for drivers.
Bobby Seibel lives a few doors down from where the crash happened, and he said it should have all been cleaned up within 24 hours.
“I’m not going to clean that up,” he said. “What am I going to do with that pole?”
Okie Ughary, an employee of a store in the area, said the mess is more than just an eyesore, it also poses a danger to pedestrians.
“The elderly people are the ones I’m scared for,” he said.
A city spokesperson responded to NBC10’s questions with this statement:
“The accident cleanup process involves multiple parties, including tow companies, specialized commercial cleaning companies, Philadelphia Police and fire and EMS departments. It all depends on the accidents severity and whether it involves biohazards.”
NBC10 did see one person sweeping on one side of the street while at the scene, and a Verizon utility truck. However, the Verizon workers said they would not remove the pole because it was not there’s.
A resident told NBC10 that she agrees the mess is a hazard for the people who have to walk and drive in the area.
She said she walked across the street to avoid potentially live wires that were down.
“It’s a hazard, people can’t park there. They can get flat tires from the debris,” she said.
One person was in stable condition after the crash, and the two carjacking suspects in the other car fled the scene on foot, police said.
According to police, the investigation is ongoing, but no arrests have been announced.
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