2 killed, 1 hurt in East Falls car crash

1TWO KILLED, ONE HURT

IN CAR CRASH

Two men were killed and one was critically injured when they crashed their car early yesterday morning in East Falls after a police pursuit.

Cops tried to stop the 2001 Buick for traffic violations at Roosevelt Boulevard and Rising Sun Avenue about 12:05 a.m., but the car fled, police said.

A pursuit followed, and one of the occupants of the Buick threw a revolver out of the car window at 9th and Courtland streets, police said. The gun was later recovered, they said.

Shortly after the pursuit was called off by police, the car was discovered crashed into trees and on fire on School House Lane near Gypsy, police said.

The front-seat passenger had been ejected from the car and was pronounced dead at the scene, as was the rear passenger, who died from burns he suffered in the back seat, police said. Police did not have the ages or identities of the men immediately available.

The driver of the car, a 24-year-old man, remains at Temple University Hospital in extremely critical condition with a possible broken leg and internal injuries, according to police.

2WOMAN'S BOYFRIEND HELD

AFTER HAZMAT SCARE

What was initially believed to be a hazardous-materials situation yesterday morning in Olney turned out to be a domestic dispute, according to police. Police said that about 8:10 a.m., they responded to Broad Street and Chew Avenue, where a woman said she found suspicious materials in her car.

The bomb squad determined the materials to be nonexplosive, though police did not know what the materials were yesterday.

The complainant's boyfriend was taken into custody as a result of the incident, but it was not known if charges had been filed against the man as of last night, a police spokeswoman said.

3TWO COPS INJURED

IN CAR CRASH

A car crash between police and a civilian vehicle Saturday night in Northeast Philadelphia sent two cops to the hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening, police said.

About 7 p.m., a minivan made an illegal crossover on Roosevelt Boulevard near Devereaux Avenue when it struck a police cruiser traveling south on the boulevard, police said.

One of the officers in the cruiser suffered a broken kneecap and was admitted to Aria Health's Torresdale hospital. The other had injuries to his wrist, knee, head and neck and was treated and released from the same hospital, police said.

No one in the civilian vehicle was injured, and an investigation into the crash is ongoing.

4POLICE IDENTIFY MAN KILLED

IN EAST GERMANTOWN BAR

Police identified the 35-year-old man who was shot to death inside an East Germantown bar Friday night as Damaine Barber.

Police say Barber, who is from that neighborhood, was shot in the chest about 8:30 p.m. at TJ's Lounge on Woodlawn Street near Crowson. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators reported no arrests.

5REWARDS OFFERED IN HUNT FOR MAN

CHARGED WITH VEHICULAR HOMICIDE

Camden County authorities are looking for Kenney Bellegarde, a Philadelphia man charged with driving his car into another auto and killing a 22-year-old woman Oct. 1 at Routes 73 and 30 in Waterford, N.J.

Bellegarde fled after being charged with vehicular homicide and other charges in the death of Vanessa Tomlin, who was a passenger in the car rammed by Bellegarde's Saturn. Her family has offered a $1,000 reward, and the Citizens Crime Commission has contgribued an additional $1,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the local police department or 9-1-1. For the Crime Commission reward, call 215-546-8477, or 877-345-8477.

- Staff and wire reports