Driver who fatally struck pedestrian in Kensington is charged with vehicular homicide
Christopher Cabrera, 38, was on the sidewalk, waiting to cross the street when police say a 41-year-old man fatally struck him with his car.
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A 41-year-old man has been charged with homicide by vehicle after law enforcement officials said they believe he drove through Kensington while under the influence of drugs, then veered onto the sidewalk at a high rate of speed and fatally struck a pedestrian.
Christopher Sorensen, of Bensalem, was arrested Wednesday on charges that also include causing an accident involving death while driving without a license, and related crimes after police said he killed 38-year-old Christopher Cabrera with his car on July 17.
Investigators are awaiting the results of toxicology tests to determine whether Sorensen was under the influence, though police recovered four bags of heroin in his car after the crash, said Dustin Slaughter, a spokesperson for the District Attorney’s Office. Sorensen could face additional charges depending on the toxicology results, Slaughter said.
Cabrera was standing on the corner of Frankford and Allegheny Avenues about 7 p.m., waiting to cross the street, when, police said, Sorensen came speeding down Allegheny Avenue in a black Toyota Corolla. He veered onto the curb, police said, striking Cabrera before crashing into a parked car. Bystanders attempted to help Cabrera, but his injuries were severe and he died at the scene, police said.
Cabrera’s father, Luis, said his son, the second-oldest of four, grew up in the Lawndale section of the city and attended Catholic high schools. He loved to read and follow politics, and had moved into a new apartment with his girlfriend in Kensington not long before his death.
Sorensen remained in custody Thursday, awaiting arraignment.
Court records show Sorensen has a lengthy history of arrests, spending time in and out of jail for largely drug-related crimes. At the time of the crash, records show, Sorensen was wanted on a bench warrant out of Bucks County after he failed to appear in court on a drug-related case in early July.
After the fatal collision, Sorensen was arrested and charged with drug possession related to the gram of heroin police say they found in his car. Still, he was released from custody that day on his own recognizance, court records show.
Slaughter said because the investigation into the crash remained ongoing, prosecutors did not have enough evidence to request that Sorensen be held on bail.
Sorensen appeared to have returned to Kensington after his release. Officers found him near McPherson Square Park on Wednesday afternoon and took him back into custody to face the new charges. Slaughter said the DA’s Office intends to request $1 million bail.
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Cabrera’s death came amid a rash of fatal pedestrian related car crashes in the city, igniting a wave of concern among city leaders and safe streets advocates.
Just minutes before Cabrera was killed on July 17, a young doctor, Barbara Friedes, was biking home when Michael Vahey, who police say was driving drunk, operated a vehicle at a high rate of speed that struck her from behind, killing her. Vahey, was charged with vehicular manslaughter and related crimes last week, and remains in custody on nearly $1 million bail.