Loved ones mourned a woman who died after suspects who were fleeing police crashed into her vehicle.
A large crowd gathered at the home of Carol Isom, 55, on the 200 block of 53rd Street in West Philadelphia Saturday night to remember the wife, mother and grandmother of five. Loved ones describe her as a woman of faith who loved her family.
"[She] loved her family most of all," said Isom's daughter Jessica Isom. "Family was most definitely important to her. I still can't believe she's gone. It's like a dream I can't wake up from."
Isom will be laid to rest on December 10 which would have been her 56th birthday.
[[404147636, C]]
Isom left her home Wednesday night to go to a nearby store and was sitting in her car at 52nd and Locust streets around 7:15 p.m. Wednesday when her vehicle was struck by a gray Nissan. Police say the two men inside the Nissan had fled the scene at 48th Street and Westminster Avenue when officers responding to a report of gunshots tried to stop them.
Isom's car was one of four that was struck by the Nissan. Isom was taken to Penn-Presbyterian Hospital where she was pronounced dead a short time later.
The two suspects, who police say are siblings, tried to flee the scene after the crash but were apprehended by responding officers, police said.
NBC10 obtained exclusive surveillance video of the aftermath of the crash. In the video a man emerges from the smoke and takes off his jacket. An officer then rushes in and pins him against a truck. Another officer then moves the man to the ground and appears to place handcuffs on him. More officers join and the man is led away. [[403915746, C]]
The suspects were taken into police custody after they were treated and released at Penn-Presbyterian Hospital. Police said they recovered a gun as well crack cocaine from the suspects.
"There was a 9mm extended magazine in the Nissan," said Philadelphia Police Lt. Ray Evers. "The Nissan has strike marks. So we know [there was a] gun battle. Gun fight."
A 27-year-old man who was suffering from gunshot wounds to his left arm and wrist also walked into Mercy Hospital around 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. Investigators believe the man is associated with the two suspects and that he was shot during the incident at 4800 Westminster Avenue.
The two suspects are expected to be charged with fleeing and eluding law enforcement, homicide by vehicle, aggravated assault and other related offenses.
"I just can't begin to tell you how saddened we are by the loss of life," said Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross.
Commissioner Ross said the department would review the incident and that it appeared the officers did the right thing by calling in the pursuit.
Eric Semborski woke up Saturday and drove to work in Voorhees, New Jersey.
It was just an ordinary morning for the 23-year-old, a Temple graduate with a bachelor’s degree in sports management.
Little did he know, in a couple of hours his world would turn upside down.
Semborski, who works for Snider Hockey and at Flyers Skate Zone running goalie clinics and roller leagues, hadn’t played competitively since suiting up for the Owls’ club team in the spring of 2015.
That was until Saturday at the Wells Fargo Center, where, someway, somehow he was draped in a Chicago Blackhawks jersey and squaring up blazing shots off the sticks of Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa and Duncan Keith, just to name a few.
Quite the promotion, huh?
“It’s surreal, really,” he said. “I can’t explain it.”
Could anyone?
“I couldn’t imagine the rush,” Blackhawks goalie Scott Darling said.
Incredibly and astonishingly, Semborski turned into an NHL goaltender for a day as Chicago’s second string to Darling, who suffered a 3-1 loss to the Flyers.
How Semborski was found and summoned by the Blackhawks is still somewhat of a mystery, even to the Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, native himself. Once Chicago received word that regular starter Corey Crawford had to suddenly undergo an appendectomy at a Philadelphia hospital, the Blackhawks started scrambling for an emergency backup to Darling.
“I was at work, at the rink in Voorhees just coaching,” Semborski said. “My boss called me and I missed it. I walked off the ice and started talking with someone from the Flyers, he started asking me, ‘Where’d you play hockey, what’s your playing history?’”
Semborski was confounded.
“I didn’t even know what he was getting at,” he said. “I asked, ‘Why are you asking me this?’ And he said, ‘Oh, Chicago needs a goalie.’ I just lost it. He said, ‘Go home, get your stuff and if they’re going to use you, they’ll call you.’ I left right away.
“I was like, OK, this probably isn’t going to happen, there’s no way.”
Ten minutes later …
“I’m in the truck and I got a call from Chicago,” Semborski said.
Who was it?
“I just know his name’s Tony,” Semborski said. “That’s all I know.”
How the heck did the Chicago Blackhawks, winners of three Stanley Cups since 2010, find a regular, hard-working guy living in Manayunk to be their reserve netminder?
“No idea,” Semborski said, still in awe talking after the game outside the locker rooms. “I think it had something to do with me working with Snider Hockey, working at Voorhees. They asked around and people just threw my name out I guess. I really don’t know how it happened. I’ll have to get to the bottom of that and thank some people. I have no idea who gave them my info, but whoever did, thank you, because it was awesome.”
So Semborski hustled from Voorhees to Manayunk, packed up his gear — including his old Temple mask, sporting the words “Philly Proud” and “Temple Tuff” — and quickly made his way to the Wells Fargo Center. He arrived around 12:30 p.m. before puck drop at 1.
“I hit some traffic on 76 (Schuylkill Expressway), of course,” Semborski said. “I got here as fast as I could in my street clothes. No time to put on a tie.”
Once Semborski signed his amateur tryout, it became real. He walked into the visiting locker room and there were the Blackhawks and his NHL jersey, a makeshift uniform with Crawford’s No. 50.
“It was hanging up when I got in there,” he said. “I guess they took Crawford’s and threw a name on it and made it work.”
Prior to hitting the ice for warmups, Semborski got acquainted with his teammates.
“Dream come true,” he said. “That was so cool, just hanging out with those guys. They made me feel welcomed right away, started joking around.
“When I got there, they put my number on the board and said I’m throwing in $200 for the holiday party. That was pretty good. I told them, ‘You better take credit because that’s all I got.’”
What about his big-money contract?
“No, I should be paying them for this,” Semborski said. “That was awesome.
“I signed some stuff when I came in, I don’t know what it was. I’m happy with a hat and the memories.”
Especially taking the net in warmups.
“I was a bit rusty, but no matter how much I play, I’m not going to be ready for them,” he said. “It was fast and I couldn’t even catch my breath because I was trying to take it all in. That was the best 20 minutes of my life out there skating with them.
“You’re playing against the best guys in the world. I knew I wasn’t going to stop most of them. I was lucky if it hit me.”
As for the game, Semborski didn’t play.
“Well you almost saw it,” Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville said, referring to his frustration with a three-goal second period by the Flyers.
“That probably would have been a big mistake,” Semborski said with a laugh.
“That would have been so cool, but I wouldn’t change a thing. The experience was awesome.”
What did Quenneville think?
"That’s part of the process with all of the teams, they have the local amateur guys or sometimes guys who have played pro before," he said. "But with our cap situation, we needed an amateur, so he fit all the criteria and it was a good opportunity for him. ... It’s kind of a cool experience for the kid."
So Semborski sat on the bench, padded and ready. He smiled and watched, supporting his new team.
He, of course, is a Flyers fan, but …
“Not today,” he said with a smile. “Every other day, yeah, but not today.
“When I first got out there, I was like, ‘All right, if [the Flyers] score, don’t stand up. Just relax.’”
Semborski admitted to Chicago breaking his heart in 2010 when it beat the Flyers in the Stanley Cup Final.
“That was one of the hardest things I ever watched,” he said. “But today, that’s all forgotten. I’m a ‘Hawks fan today.”
Afterward, Semborski said his phone was flooded with 70-something text messages and 20-plus phone calls.
“I’m going to have to start calling some people,” he said.
His first will probably be to a special loved one.
“It’s my dad’s birthday,” Semborski said. “So, happy birthday, Dad. Best present ever for you.”
Officials are praising 911 dispatchers who used cellphone data and their own intelligence to help first responders save a man’s life.
A dispatcher working at the 911 Center on Middletown Road in Media, Pennsylvania received a call Friday at 8:47 a.m. from a disoriented man suffering from dementia who had fallen in his living room and needed medical help. The caller was unable to tell the dispatcher where he lived however.
The dispatcher kept the man on the phone while other dispatchers used GIS and cellphone data to determine the general area where the victim lived. The center’s fireboard team determined the call was from Chester City, Delaware County.
Responding police officers and EMS arrived in the area but were unable to find the man. The dispatchers then used sirens from the emergency vehicles to guide the rescuers closer to the victim.
“By keeping him on the line we made the suggestion that maybe we can use their sirens in their vehicles or their air horns,” said Mike McGinley, a 911 dispatcher. “If we could hear them in the background we might be able to pinpoint this gentleman’s address.”
The first responders then went door to door and knocked on each house until they eventually found the victim’s home. They then forced themselves inside the home at 9:06 a.m. and found the man. He was taken to the hospital where he is recovering and doing well.
Officials say the incident was an example of how “technology, training and compassion came together to save a life.”
A Center City street was flooded with foam while over 2,000 customers lost power following a reported explosion at a PECO power substation.
Officials first received several calls reporting the sound of an explosion at the PECO power substation on 400 S. Juniper Street around 1 p.m. Saturday.
"There was this loud bang noise and I was like, 'Oh boy. I hope everything is okay," said Christian Bygott, a witness.
The station's fire suppression system activated itself after the reported explosion and flooded the building with foam which then leaked onto the 400 block of Juniper Street. Some of the foam slowly poured into Bygott's backyard.
"[It was] sort of like that old movie, 'The Blob' except it was its really super slow cousin," he said.
A viewer also sent NBC10 a video of the foam pouring from the roof of the substation onto the ground. During the video the sound of a loud blast is heard and a bright flash can be seen at the building, indicating an explosion.
A fire official said no one was inside the substation during the reported blast.
"One of the transformers did go off a line and then as the foam fills the building and the system worked exactly like its supposed to, it may have shut down another set of transformers and that's what caused the power outage in the area," the official said.
The bizarre spew of foam from the station was caught on video by shocked neighbors near Juniper Street.
"When the wind blew from the open courtyard area it was taking the foam out of the courtyard and that is what made it look like snow," the fire official said.
At one point the foam on the street was around six-feet high.
"People were joking saying it was like Christmas," said Mark DeLucca, another witness.
Around 17 units, including a Hazmat Task Force, were sent to the foam-flooded street. The foam is similar to the substance used in washing machines and is non-hazardous, according to officials. They also say it has no detrimental effects on the environment.
Crews are currently washing the foam down the sewer system under the direction of the Philadelphia Water Department and their Industrial Waste Unit.
When the activation occurred the power went out for about 2500 nearby customers and a shelter in place went into effect for nearby homes. During the outage, some people in nearby high rises were trapped inside elevators. A Philadelphia Fire Department task force was able to remove eight to ten people who were trapped. Backup systems in the high rises kicked in shortly after and elevator service returned. No one was injured during the incident.
Power was restored to all customers around 4 p.m. Officials continue to investigate the cause of the reported blast.
Temple bided its time, waiting a year for a chance to wash out the sting of last year’s American Athletic Conference title game defeat to Houston.
And on Saturday, the Owls let out a year’s worth of frustration as they achieved the goal they’ve talked about for months now.
They can stop talking about it because Matt Rhule and his Owls can finally call themselves the AAC champions.
On the backs of seniors Phillip Walker and Jahad Thomas, Temple (10-3, 8-1 AAC) rocketed out to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter and never looked back, leaving No. 19 Navy (10-3, 7-2 AAC) in the dust Saturday afternoon in a 34-10 rout in the AAC title game field at Navy-Marine Corps Stadium.
It’s the second conference title in program history and first since the Owls brought home the Middle Atlantic Conference crown in 1967.
Walker ripped Navy’s lackluster passing defense apart for 199 yards and two touchdowns. He was named the game’s Most Outstanding Player for his efforts.
But just as impressive was how the Owls handled Navy’s potent triple-option attack, especially after the way Army dominated Temple for 328 yards and four touchdowns on the ground in a 28-13 loss at Lincoln Financial Field in the season opener.
The Owls held Navy to just 168 rushing yards Saturday. The Middies came in averaging 342 yards on the ground per game, second most in the nation. A big reason for that was an ankle injury to Navy quarterback Will Worth, the leader of the triple-option, who left in the first half with an ankle injury and did not return.
Temple now has 24 hours to celebrate a mission completed before learning of its postseason fate.
Bowl outlook
Let’s start here since this is the most pressing issue after Saturday’s result.
Is Temple still eligible to be invited to the Cotton Bowl, this year’s New Year’s Six at-large bowl? Yes.
But with MAC champion No. 17 Western Michigan sporting a 13-0 record after Friday’s win over Ohio in the conference title game, the odds of the selection committee picking a three-loss Temple team over an undefeated WMU squad are slim.
But anything is possible. On the slight chance Temple is selected for the Cotton Bowl, a rematch from September with No. 7 Penn State is possible.
We’ll find out Sunday afternoon when the bowl selections are announced.
Turning point
On the opening drive of the game, Temple wideout Keith Kirkwood dropped a Walker dart on 3rd-and-7. Instead of having freshman kicker Aaron Boumehri kick into the wind from the Navy 28, Rhule decided to go for it on 4th-and-7. Kirkwood made up for his mistake with a 13-yard reception. Thomas bounced to the outside on the next play and set the tone for the day for Temple with a 15-yard touchdown run that put the Owls up 7-0.
With the Owls leading 14-0 two drives later, Worth hit Dishan Romine down the seam for 24 yards, setting Navy up at the Temple 25-yard line. The only reason the play didn’t end in the end zone was because of safety Sean Chandler’s touchdown-saving tackle. On the next play, Navy tried a screen to Darryl Bonner, who was stripped by Chandler. Temple recovered the fumble and Walker hit Kirkwood on 56-yard bomb for a touchdown three plays later to extend Temple’s lead to 21-0.
You could have started shining up the trophy from there.
Big men on campus
Walker, a four-year starter, was stellar in his penultimate act as an Owl. He completed big pass after big pass to lead to Owls. His 56-yard touchdown rainbow to Kirkwood was a beauty as he put just the right amount of touch on it. He also had a clutch 3rd-and-12 completion to Ventell Bryant in the fourth quarter that eventually led to a field goal that made the score 27-10.
Thomas was his usual productive self with 19 rushes for 62 yards and a score.
Kirkwood had a big day in the receiving department with five catches for 98 yards and a score.
On defense, Chandler had a monster afternoon eight tackles a pick and forced fumble. Linebacker Jarred Alwan led the Owls with 12 total tackles.
Abey filled in admirably for the Middies with 104 passing yards and 70 rushing yards, but there was only so much he could do against a vicious Temple defense.
Injury report
Temple senior linebacker Avery Williams, the Owls’ leader on defense, was hurt in the second quarter after hitting Abey following a pitch. Williams limped off the field, but he couldn’t return even if he wanted to as he earned a targeting call for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Abey after the pitch and was disqualified from the game. It was a good call as Williams forcefully drove the crown of his helmet into Abey’s chin.
Navy’s offense was depleted by injuries in the first half.
Worth, who captains the Midshipmen’s triple-option attack and entered Saturday as the nation’s leader in rushing touchdowns with 25, left limping early in the second quarter with an ankle injury and did not return. Needless to say, losing Worth was a critical blow to Navy’s chances of a comeback.
Navy senior running back Toneo Gulley and junior back Darryl Bonner, the latter of whom is the Midshipmen’s second leading receiver, both left Saturday’s game in the first half with injuries and did not return.
History has been made
In addition to winning the first conference championship for the program since 1967, the Owls now have back-to-back 10 win seasons for the first time in program history. They’re also heading to a bowl game in consecutive seasons for the first time ever.
Temple also set a record for points in a season with 427, breaking last season’s record of 417.
The Owls’ 20 wins over the last two seasons are the most in consecutive years in program history. Matt Rhule also now has 28 wins as the Owls’ head coach, tying him with Bruce Arians for sixth most in school history.
That 2-10 season in Rhule’s first season in 2013 seems like ancient history now, doesn’t it?
Up Next
Its regular season complete, Temple now awaits its bowl fate. The AAC’s bowl ties are as follows: AutoNation Cure Bowl (vs. Sun Belt in Orlando, Florida), Miami Beach Bowl (vs. MAC in Miami), Boca Raton Bowl (vs. Conference USA in Boca Raton, Florida), St. Petersburg Bowl (vs. ACC in St. Petersburg, Florida), Military Bowl (vs. ACC in Annapolis, Maryland), Birmingham Bowl (vs. SEC in Birmingham, Alabama).
It’s entirely possible the Owls could be right back here in Annapolis for the Military Bowl on Dec. 27.
The American also has a tie to the Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth, Texas, but Navy is already scheduled to head there to face a Big 12 team. The Midshipmen will head there after their annual showdown with Army next week in Baltimore.
The NBC10 Weather Team has issued a First Alert for a wet commute Monday morning, with the potential for rain and snow mixing across portions of the region.
Models are in agreement that a system will force moisture into the region by Sunday late night, into early Monday morning. This moisture will come at the low temperature point of Monday, early morning. As a result, some neighborhoods will see the rain turn over to snow briefly.
The moisture will initially move in just past midnight along the western edge of the area. Chester county, down to Delaware and up to the Lehigh Valley may begin seeing precipitation. It will likely fall as rain initially, because temperatures will not have slipped to their low points quite yet.
The rain will continue to progress to the east through the early AM hours of Monday. At the same time, temperatures will continue to fall to the low 40s to the low 30s and in some areas north of Philadelphia, below freezing. As a result, the rain snow line will cross into the region and some neighborhoods will experience a changeover in precipitation type. The counties most likely to see this in our region are Lehigh, Berks, Montgomery, Bucks and Chester. In Montgomery, Bucks and Chester counties, the northern portions are more likely to see flakes falling. The wintry mix shouldn’t accumulate in those counties, aside from the Lehigh Valley north to the Poconos. A light accumulation around 0.5 to 1” is possible there.
Through Philadelphia, New Jersey, and Delaware rain is expected. The rain should be primarily light to moderate. Nonetheless, the timing of the system will create slick road conditions across the board which may adversely affect the Monday morning commute. Additionally, if temperatures fall slightly lower than expected, a few flakes may be able to mix into Philadelphia. Models are in good agreement that the rain/snow line will fall just north of Philadelphia. However, slight shifts to the system could allow for Philadelphia to see a brief lived flurry. This scenario isn’t likely, though.
By 8 am, most the rain and snow flurries will begin moving out of the region. Some lingering snow may fall near the Poconos and Lehigh Valley into the later morning. Elsewhere, conditions will begin to gradually dry out.
As the work week progresses, there will be several more systems bringing rain potential to the region. The biggest concern, however, will be a blast of arctic air to slope across the entire forecasting area Friday through Saturday. The bitterly cold pattern will bring windy conditions and high temperatures only in the mid to upper 30s. More on that in the days to come with your NBC10 First Alert Neighborhood forecast.
After winning its first American Athletic Conference championship Saturday, Temple learned its postseason fate Sunday and it does not involve a New Year's Six bowl game.
The Owls will play Wake Forest in the Military Bowl on Dec. 27 in Annapolis, Maryland. Temple also finished No. 24 in the final College Football Playoff rankings and No. 23 in the AP poll.
At 10-3, Temple has its first back-to-back 10-win season in program history. It's also the first time the Owls have been ranked in consecutive seasons. Head coach Matt Rhule now has 28 wins as Temple's head coach, tying him with Bruce Arians' for the sixth-most in school history.
Wake Forest finished the season 6-6 and on a three-game losing streak, but two of those three loses came to No. 2 Clemson and No. 13 Louisville. The Deamon Deacons have lost five of their last six games.
After about seven years, Upper Merion's administrative offices will return to a five-day work week in January, according to Upper Merion Supervisor Greg Waks.
Over the past seven years, Upper Merion's economy has strengthened, Waks said. The additional revenue the township has received has allowed them to invest in their infrastructure and meet their obligations without raising taxes.
"We hope that this will provide an additional opportunity for our residents to obtain some of the services they might need," Waks said.
Between late 2009 and early 2010, townships needed to crunch their budgets due to the recession, according to Waks. In order to save money, the Board of Supervisors shifted Upper Merion administrative offices to a four-day work week.
[[404671915, C]]
Instead of five eight-hour days, employees worked four ten-hour days which allowed the township to save about $25,000 a year in utilities and building maintenance.
While the four-day work week has saved some money, it has not saved as much as originally projected, according to Waks. Waks also said residents who needed to use the administrative offices on Fridays were unable to access them.
For the ease of employees, the township is implementing a Flex Friday schedule allowing employees to have every other Friday off, if they want. Upper Merion Township will also let employees who are scheduled on Fridays "dress down."
