Man arrested, charged in fatal crash that killed 8-year-old boy

A 34-year-old Oxford Circle man was arrested Thursday and charged with homicide by vehicle in a fatal crash that killed an 8-year-old boy in Crescentville on Wednesday, police said.

Michael Finn of the 5900 block of Frontenac Street also was charged with leaving the scene of a fatal accident and related offenses.

The crash occurred about 1:40 p.m. on Whitaker Avenue near Herkness Street, police said. Finn was driving a 1996 Honda Odyssey east on Whitaker and was swerving in and out of lanes when the minivan sideswiped the passenger side of a 1989 Honda Civic that was about to turn left, police said.

An 8-year-old boy in the Civic was rushed by medics to St. Christopher's Hospital for Children, where he was pronounced dead at 2:19 p.m. Wednesday. Police did not release his name.

The boy's father, 28, who was driving the Civic, was taken by medics to Temple University Hospital, where he was in stable condition Wednesday.

After the crash, Finn got out to inspect the damage to his vehicle, then drove away, witnesses told police. Police later Wednesday spotted the Odyssey near the suspect's home. After witnesses identified Finn as the driver of the minivan, he was taken into custody.