2 men to stand trial in deaths of woman, 3 children struck on Philadelphia sidewalk

2 men to stand trial in Philly pedestrian deaths

PHILADELPHIA — Two men will face trial on murder charges in the deaths of three children and a mother who were killed on a sidewalk by a car fleeing police.

Twenty-year-old Ivan Rodriguez and 18-year-old Donta Cradock are charged in a June crash that killed an 11-month-old girl, her mother and two other girls.

Prosecutors say Cradock was fleeing police when he jumped a curb in the city’s Feltonville neighborhood and struck them. Authorities say Rodriguez had earlier jumped from the car and stolen a man’s motorcycle, causing Cradock to flee.

Rodriguez’s attorney argues his client is not responsible for the crash. Cradock’s attorney says his client did not act with malice.

The charges include second- and third-degree murder and robbery.