3 nurses injured in hit-and-run outside of Penn Presbyterian Medical Center

Philadelphia police say the driver of a silver Jeep Cherokee struck three nurses around 4:22 a.m. Saturday morning while fleeing the hospital.

police car lights flashing

A police car is seen in a file photo. (Alexandru Cuznetov/MCT)

This story originally appeared on 6abc.

The search is on for a hit-and-run driver who struck three nurses outside of Penn Presbyterian Medical Center in University City.

Philadelphia police say it happened around 4:22 a.m. Saturday morning when the driver of a silver Jeep Cherokee was dropping off a shooting victim outside of the hospital’s emergency department. The driver is believed to be a male, possibly in his early 20s.

The nurses were rushing to the aid of the shooting victim when the driver of the Jeep fled the hospital, striking the nurses.

  • WHYY thanks our sponsors — become a WHYY sponsor

Penn Medicine says one nurse is hospitalized in critical condition. Two others received treatment for their injuries. According to Philadelphia police, the nurse in critical condition is a 36-year-old male who suffered facial injuries and internal bleeding. The two others are both listed in stable condition.

The shooting victim is a 28-year-old male who was shot multiple times. Police say he may have also suffered a head injury as the driver fled the scene.

The shooting happened on the 1300 block of Belmont Ave in the Parkside section of the city, according to police.

Anyone with information regarding the shooting or the crash is urged to contact the Philadelphia Police Department’s tip line at 215-686-TIPS (8477).

Full statement from Penn Medicine below:
“Early this morning, a vehicle arrived at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center’s emergency department and dropped off an individual who had been shot. Three Penn Presbyterian nurses rushed to the patient’s aid and were struck by the driver as they fled. One nurse is hospitalized in critical condition and two others also received treatment for injuries. In a workplace where teams are devoted to caring for others, this incident is devastating to our staff, and is a reminder of the tragic, far-reaching toll of gun violence on entire communities. Violence against healthcare workers harms us all, and is a corrosive, unacceptable threat which our staff must cope with on a daily basis. Our heroic staff continued working to save the gunshot victim and care for all our other patients even as their own colleagues were suffering and being treated. We are providing support resources for them and the injured nurses’ families, and fully cooperating with the Philadelphia Police as they investigate.”

Never miss a moment with the WHYY Listen App!

WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today.

Want a digest of WHYY’s programs, events & stories? Sign up for our weekly newsletter.

Together we can reach 100% of WHYY’s fiscal year goal