Suspect in Grandmother’s Fatal Hit-and-Run Surrenders to Police

A man from Pennsylvania surrendered to authorities a few days after being identified as the lead suspect in a deadly hit-and-run that resulted in the death of a cherished grandmother.

According to Philadelphia police, 47-year-old Michael Harper turned himself in on Monday following allegations that he was driving a black Infiniti Q50, which hit 77-year-old Dorothea Cathell. Cathell, who was using a shopping cart to cross an intersection, was hit by Harper’s car, which then was left with a broken windshield and dented hood.

Cathell was rushed to a nearby hospital and died of her injuries.

Reported by NBC affiliate WCAU, Cathell was heading home from a ShopRite trip using her usual shopping cart. Her family told WCAU that on that Friday evening, the cart was filled with Halloween décor. It now serves as part of a roadside memorial in her honor.

As per WCAU’s report, after allegedly hitting Cathell, Harper backed up his car and drove away in a different direction. Police revealed that he dropped a female passenger off at a pizza restaurant after the incident.

A photo of the damaged vehicle was made public by the police and located at an auto repair shop on Monday. The car has been seized by authorities to aid their ongoing investigation.

The same day, Harper arrived at the Philadelphia Police Department’s 1st District headquarters to turn himself in. He now faces several charges in connection with the crash including homicide by vehicle (DUI), homicide by vehicle, accident involving death, recklessly endangering another person, and reckless driving.

Cathell’s sister, Mary Miles, told WCAU, “She meant a lot to everybody. To the world, she was just a person, but to her family, she was the world. So knowing what I know about her, it’s just unbelievable that someone would just leave her there.”