Man charged in wrong-way fatal crash on I-95 in South Philadelphia

A 46-year-old man has been charged with homicide by vehicle while under the influence after he allegedly drove the wrong way on Interstate 95 in South Philadelphia and caused a crash that killed a 21-year-old woman early Sunday, police said.

The victim, Thaduba Magdalena Turay, of Folcroft, was a junior at Cheyney University and a graduate of Cardinal O’Hara High School in Springfield Township.

Authorities allege that David Bonilla, of Philadelphia, was under the influence of alcohol when he drove southbound in the northbound lanes of I-95 about 2:40 a.m. Sunday when he crashed head-on into Turay’s vehicle near Packer Avenue and Front Street.

Bonilla, who also was charged with involuntary manslaughter and related offenses, was taken to a hospital to be treated for his injuries. He was arraigned and his bail was set at 10% of $750,000. It was unclear from court records on Wednesday whether he posted bail.

In a statement Monday, Aaron A. Walton, president of Cheyney University, informed students and staff about “the loss of this bright young mind taken from us in a tragic car accident.”

Turay was a biology-nursing concentration major, a Cheyney spokesperson said.

Samuel Turay, her father, said in a phone interview that she was born in Freetown, Sierra Leone. When she was 2 years old, her family came to the United States, he said.

She wanted to become a doctor because she liked helping people, and she envisioned traveling to Sierra Leone and other places in the world as a traveling doctor — “anywhere she was needed,” her father said.

Her father said she was active with an organization in Sierra Leone to promote education for young girls and was supporting more than 35 girls by covering school fees and the cost of supplies, such as uniforms and books.

A GoFundMe was created this week in her memory and the proceeds will benefit her organization in Sierra Leone and raise awareness about the dangers of driving under the influence.