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Police ID two men arrested in Frankford car meetup

Police say one 19-year-old driver from New Jersey hit a patrol vehicle while attempting to flee the area of the Frankford car meetup.

Tire marks shown on I-95 near Walnut Street in Philadelphia on June 5. A Pennsylvania State Police trooper shot and killed 18-year-old Anthony Allegrini Jr. on the highway after responding to street racing. Philadelphia police have arrested two men in connection to a separate illegal car meetup last Saturday night in Philadelphia.
Tire marks shown on I-95 near Walnut Street in Philadelphia on June 5. A Pennsylvania State Police trooper shot and killed 18-year-old Anthony Allegrini Jr. on the highway after responding to street racing. Philadelphia police have arrested two men in connection to a separate illegal car meetup last Saturday night in Philadelphia.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer

Philadelphia police identified the two men arrested in a Frankford car meetup Saturday night, including the 19-year-old New Jersey driver they say hit a patrol car while trying to flee.

The driver who police say hit a 15th Police District vehicle was identified by police as Chase Possert of Hamilton, N.J.

The incident began Saturday around 9:45 p.m. when officers arrived at the intersection of Torresdale and Adams Avenues to find a large crowd conducting “reckless driving activities,” with multiple cars performing burnouts, police said.

When officers attempted to disperse the gathering, a vehicle driven by a 19-year-old, later identified by police as Possert, crashed into the patrol vehicle as Possert tried to flee, police said. There were no injuries reported to any of the officers, Possert, or the people in his vehicle at the time of the crash.

Possert was taken into custody after driving into heavy traffic and charged with reckless driving, fleeing police, and related crimes, police said. Four 17-year-old boys who were passengers in Possert’s vehicle were issued citations and released.

Police also arrested a 33-year-old man at the same location who they say was drag racing a 2023 Dodge Charger. The 33-year-old, later identified as David Wyche, of West Norriton, was charged with reckless driving and related crimes.

Police also said an “unknown individual” threw a bottle of tequila at a patrol vehicle from the 26th District, hitting the hood and cracking the windshield.

Both Possert and Wyche are represented by public defenders, court records show. A spokesperson for the Defender Association of Philadelphia declined to comment.

Illegal car meetups have become more visible in Philadelphia, with drivers organizing on social media and gathering quickly in large crowds at locations across the city.

One car meetup last summer ended with a Pennsylvania State Police trooper shooting and killing 18-year-old Anthony Allegrini. Allegrini was killed when authorities say he struck two troopers with his Audi S4 as they tried to disperse an illegal car meetup and one of them shot him.