Man who fatally hit a biking CHOP doctor while driving drunk sentenced to up to 20 years in prison

Michael Vahey, 69, had a blood alcohol level that was twice the legal limit when he fatally hit Dr. Barbara Friedes on Spruce Street last July, police said.

Cory Sharber

Updated Jul. 22, 2025 6:05 pm

FILE - Protesters cycle past the street where cyclist Dr. Barbara Friedes was struck and killed. (Nick Kariuki/Billy Penn)

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A Philadelphia man has been sentenced to six to 20 years in prison for killing a Children’s Hospital doctor when he struck her with his car while driving drunk in Center City last year.

Michael Vahey, 69, pleaded guilty in April to multiple charges, including third-degree murder, homicide by vehicle, involuntary manslaughter and DUI. Police said Vahey’s blood alcohol level was twice the legal limit.

In July 2024, Vahey struck and killed 30-year-old Barbara Friedes while she was biking near the 1800 block of Spruce Street. Friedes was hit from behind and was thrown more than 20 feet from the crash site. Despite wearing a helmet, she suffered severe head injuries and died shortly after at Jefferson Hospital.

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In a statement, Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner thanked Assistant District Attorney Katherine Wood for “her diligent and capable prosecution of this case, and Dr. Friedes’ family for their strength and grace throughout this matter.”

“This prosecution and sentence should send a message to anyone who gets behind the wheel while intoxicated that this reckless behavior will not be tolerated,” Krasner said.

Friedes attended Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Maryland and was in the third year of the residency program at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Friedes was the first person killed in the city while riding a bike in 2024, according to the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia.

Her death resulted in memorials and protests throughout the city, including one at City Hall where cyclists demanded concrete barriers be installed to protect riders.

According to the Bicycle Coalition, 125 people were killed by traffic violence in Philadelphia in 2024, including 54 pedestrian deaths and three cyclists.

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