Three vehicles were in police custody and being examined to determine if they struck a woman who was killed along Route 1 in Middletown early Monday morning.
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Alexandra Ridgway, 29, who has a previous address in Bristol Township, died of catastrophic injuries after she was struck by vehicles on Route 1 between the Neshaminy High School exit and the Old Lincoln Highway entrance in Middletown around 3:30 a.m. Monday. None of the striking vehicles stopped at the scene.
On Tuesday evening, police Chief Joseph Bartorilla said evidence appears to show that Ridgway was upright when she was struck the first time. The investigation has led police to suspect the initial striking vehicle was “most likely” a large truck or tractor-trailer.
Despite not have the initial striking vehicle, officers are looking at a Ford F-550 flatbed tow truck, a Dodge Caravan minivan, and a VW Passat that were identified as being at the crash site early in the morning.
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“The drivers and owners are cooperating fully with the police investigation. At this time there is no physical evidence linking any of these vehicles or drivers as the initial striking vehicle of the pedestrian,” Bartorilla said.
Officers have also examined vehicles – two Mack tri-axle dump trucks, a Jeep Wrangler, and a Mazda coupe – in Bensalem, Falls Township, and Philadelphia and cleared them of involvement in the fatal crash. The chief said that the drivers, however, are potential witnesses and are being cooperative.
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On Monday evening, 6abc and CBS 3 reported an arm that was suspected of belonging to Ridgway was found about 9 miles away from the crash scene in the 8800 block of Pine Road in Philadelphia. Bartorilla said the investigation to positively identified the limb was ongoing with Middletown police working with the Philadelphia Police Department and the Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s Office.
Police said they had received “numerous” phone calls and tips from the public and were following up on the information.
It was not clear why Ridgway was on the highway at the time of the crash.
Credit: GoFundMe
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Michael Egan, Ridgway’s brother, wrote on a GoFundMe page collecting money for her funeral that his sister dealt with some mental health issues.
As of Tuesday evening at 6 p.m., the GoFundMe had raised more than $10,000 to help the family cover funeral expenses.
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Anyone with information that could help the investigation have been asked to contact Officer Timothy King or Sgt. Michael Lubold at 215-750-3800.
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