Teen learning to drive hits, kills 2 homeless men in parking lot

PHILADELPHIA — A 15-year-old girl learning how to drive Monday night struck and killed two men in a parking lot in the Port Richmond section of Philadelphia, police said.

Investigators told WPVI-TV that the girl was driving with her mother and two other people in the SUV when the collision took place outside a Dollar Tree discount store.

"She was navigating into a parking spot and made a mistake," Philadelphia Police Capt. Mark Overswise told the news station. "The vehicle lunged forward, striking two men who were seated at the wall of the dollar store."

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The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that one man, a 54-year-old, was pronounced dead at the scene while his friend, who was 55 years old, died about 30 minutes later at Hahnemann University Hospital. Neither man, both of whom are described as homeless, has been publicly identified.

The Inquirer reported that there has been no word on if the girl or her mother would face charges. Pennsylvania law does not allow teenagers to obtain a learner's permit until the age of 16.

Cox Media Group