NE Philly man to stand trial in drag-race crash that killed 3

A second Northeast Philadelphia man has been ordered to stand trial on charges of vehicular homicide and involuntary manslaughter in the drag-racing crash last summer that killed three people and critically injured a fourth.

Ryan Farrell, 20, had a preliminary hearing in July with Christopher Bloomfield, the driver of the car that jumped a curb at a reported 97 mph and hit a tree during a 2015 street race on Sandmeyer Lane off Red Lion Road, inside a Northeast business park known for drag racing.

Philadelphia Municipal Court Judge Wendy L. Pew ordered Bloomfield, 20, held for trial at last month's hearing but delayed a decision on Farrell until Monday, after his lawyer argued that the law did not support criminal charges against him.

Attorney Louis T. Savino argued that Pennsylvania law holds that the driver of a drag-racing car that did not crash may only be charged if the two cars were "neck to neck" at the time of the accident.

Savino said there was no eyewitness or video evidence showing Farrell's 2003 Chevrolet Impala and Bloomfield's 2007 Acura TL were "neck to neck" when Bloomfield crashed.

Assistant District Attorney Thomas Lipscomb argued that video from the night of the crash shows Bloomfield's car roaring past Farrell's minutes before the crash.

"They went there to drag race," Lipscomb said. "If they're not racing there, then what are they doing?"

Pew agreed that there was enough evidence to hold Farrell for trial.

According to testimony at the earlier hearing, Farrell challenged Bloomfield to prove whose car was faster in a street race.

Surveillance video from several Sandmeyer Lane businesses shows the cars speeding. Bloomfield's Acura pulls ahead of the Chevy, becomes airborne when it hits a curb, and flies into a tree, breaking in half and bursting into flames.

A police accident reconstruction expert estimated Bloomfield's Acura was traveling 97 mph when it hit the curb. He said the car left 112 feet of skid marks and was airborne 57 feet before hitting the tree.

The bodies of Yvette Gonzalez and Sabrina Rhoads, both 17 and from Northeast Philadelphia, were found on the ground near the shattered halves of the Acura. Felipe Hernandez, 20, of Medford, was dead in the wreckage.

A fourth passenger, Bogdan Arutyunov, 17, was found in the car alive, slumped forward in his seat with a broken pelvis, nose, leg, ankle, elbow, and eye socket. Lipscomb said Arutyunov still has cognitive problems and difficulty climbing steps.

Both drivers and the victims knew each other, authorities said.

jslobodzian@phillynews.com

215-854-2985@joeslobo

www.philly.com/crimeandpunishment