Surveillance video does not show hit-and-run against Sixers’ Kelly Oubre Jr. in Center City, police say
A source familiar with the situation said that Oubre was shaken up when he gave his account to the Philadelphia Police Department.
Surveillance footage recovered so far in the alleged hit-and-run that injured 76ers forward Kelly Oubre Jr. shows no evidence that a crash occurred at the Center City intersection where Oubre reported being hit on Saturday night, police said.
“The Police Department currently does not have any video or photographic evidence that depicts this collision,” Sgt. Eric Gripp, a department spokesperson, said Wednesday. “We continue to work in hopes of gathering evidence and we encourage anyone who has information to reach out to our crash investigation unit.”
Two employees of businesses near the reported crash site told The Inquirer they reviewed roughly two hours of footage from that evening on their work surveillance systems and did not see the crash. They asked to remain anonymous due to the high-profile nature of the case.
Gripp emphasized that police have not accused Oubre of anything and the investigation is ongoing. But the lack of immediate visual evidence confirming the crash on a well-trafficked downtown street raises questions about the information Oubre provided to police.
A source familiar with the situation said that Oubre may not have provided an accurate account of where and when the crash allegedly occurred.
Oubre is new to the area — he signed with the team on Sept. 26 and only recently moved into a Center City apartment — according to the source, and he was shaken up by his injuries when he gave his account to the police. The player was only sure that he was walking back to his residence.
In an incident report released Saturday, police said a crash occurred at 7:20 p.m. near 15th and Spruce Streets. A 27-year-old pedestrian, later identified by the Sixers as Oubre, was reportedly walking westbound on Spruce when a silver vehicle speeding in the same direction attempted to turn south onto Hicks Street and struck him in the upper chest area with the driver’s-side mirror. Police said medics treated Oubre at the scene and transported him to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, where he was treated for a broken rib and injuries to his hip and leg.
Such night-of police reports contain preliminary information, often provided by a crime or crash victim, and new details sometimes emerge that conflict with the initial description.
Drafted by the Atlanta Hawks out of Kansas in 2015, Oubre was acquired by the Sixers during the offseason and has been a catalyst for the team’s unexpectedly strong start to the season.
The team initially said Oubre was expected to miss significant time due to his injuries. But Oubre has shown up at the Sixers practice facility this week, and went through another light workout on Wednesday. The team is hopeful that he could return within weeks, rather than months. “He rode the exercise bike for a little bit,” coach Nick Nurse said Tuesday. “So he’s doing OK.”
Hours after news of the conflicting evidence broke Wednesday, Nurse found himself taking questions about Oubre during his pregame press conference ahead of the Sixers’ matchup against the Boston Celtics. Asked whether he believed Oubre’s account, the coach said he took his player at his word about the reported hit-and-run.
“Listen, I don’t think it’s very fair to him to say that he’s made up some story,” Nurse said. “He’s one of our players, and we’re going to stand behind him. So am I.”
He added: “If some more evidence or anything else comes to light, we’ll handle it when it comes to light.”