Skip to content
Link copied to clipboard
Link copied to clipboard

A woman was killed in an ATV crash, the second Philly fatality involving an ATV or dirt bike this week

The fatal accident involving a Yamaha ATV and a Kia sedan happened around 9 p.m. Thursday on the 7900 block of State Road.

Alejandro A. Alvarez / Staff Photographer

A 29-year-old woman was killed after the all-terrain vehicle she was driving collided with a car Thursday night, the second time this week someone was killed in a crash involving an illegal ATV or dirt bike, police said.

The fatal accident involving a Yamaha ATV and a Kia sedan happened around 9 p.m. on the 7900 block of State Road. The driver of the ATV — identified as Victoria Rose Walker — was taken to Jefferson Torresdale Hospital and pronounced dead just after 10 p.m.

The driver of the Kia, whose name has not been released, remained at the scene. The sequence of events leading to the crash was not immediately released, and no one has been charged.

The crash marks the second time since Sunday someone was killed in a crash involving an ATV or dirt bike, both of which are illegal on Philadelphia’s streets.

On Sunday, 17-year-old Jesus Gomez Rosario was injured when a person driving a dirt bike on Allegheny Avenue hit him while he was on his skateboard, police said. Rosario was was severely injured and taken to Temple University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead Tuesday morning, police said.

The still-unidentified dirt biker had been popping wheelies and traveling “at a high rate of speed,” police said. The biker fled after hitting Rosario.

» READ MORE: Philly teen skateboarder dies after hit-and-run collision with dirt bike: ‘He was loved by so many people’

Driving ATVs and dirt bikes on the streets of Philadelphia is illegal. ATVs are not allowed on streets, sidewalks, or any public land like a park unless it is specifically stated. Owners are not allowed to operate, park, stop, or stand these bikes except for transporting them somewhere outside the city or a place they are allowed, such as private property.

Despite a legal crackdown, the city is home to an active community of ATV and dirt bike riders, with a loose-but-vibrant network of riders winding their way through Philadelphia streets, often popping wheelies and doing daredevil tricks.

» READ MORE: The ins and outs of Philly ATVs and how bike life continues to flourish here

There have been gatherings of more than 100 riders speeding through city streets, snaking their way through traffic.

Advocates for bike life, including Philadelphia rapper Meek Mill, have come out in support of the community as a way for people to escape violence and the drug trade in the city.