Authorities are searching for a carjacked medical services vehicle that had radioactive medical waste inside.
The car, which is operated by medical services company Cardinal Health, was stolen at gunpoint along the 200 block of Mill Street in Darby, Pa. around 1:30 p.m. Friday, according to Darby Borough Police.
"We believe they thought there were narcotics in the car and they were getting away with something of some value," said Darby Borough Police Chief Robert Smythe.
Sylvester Porters, a Cardinal Health employee, was about to walk into his home when he was approached by a man brandishing a gun. That suspect jumped into the Cardinal Health vehicle and headed south toward Philadelphia, Smythe said.
Porters and his mother talked with NBC10 at their Mill Street home. "He could have been killed. So you have to calm down, it was a shock," said Arnsie Riley, mother.
Porters didn't have much to say except he's doing just fine.
The car, which is described as a 2014 white Toyota Matrix, has the Pennsylvania license plate JFP-505. It also has the numbers 13083 on the left rear of the car and may have a 5x8-inch emergency medical sticker on the back window.
A second suspect, who was waiting in a black Pontiac Bonneville, sped off in a different direction.
Chief Smythe said the Cardinal Health car was carrying six syringes that contained spent radioactive medicine. The medicine is used in diagnostic imaging. The syringes are stored inside canisters marked "radioactive material."
Police were able to track the carjacker for a short time by following a GPS signal coming from an iPad inside the vehicle. However, the suspect realized he was being tracked and threw the iPad out the window at 63rd Street and Glenmore Avenue in Philadelphia, police said.
Because of the materials inside, Darby Borough Police called in the Philadelphia Police's Homeland Security Unit to assist in the investigation.
Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Joe Sullivan said they do not believe that the medical waste is harmful any longer, but that officials would like to inspect the syringes to ensure everything is safe.
In a statement, Cardinal Health said there is no risk to the public.
"There was a small amount of radiopharmaceuticals in the car used for medical purposes in diagnostic imaging in the human body," SVP for Public Relations Debbie Mitchell said.
Police are asking anyone that may come across the waste to not be alarmed, but also not touch it and immediately call 911.
Police believe the suspects, who are considered armed and dangerous, targeted the Cardinal Health employee believing the car contained narcotics.
The carjacker is described as an African-American man, with a small build and afro-style hair wearing a gray t-shirt and blue jeans. The alleged accomplice is described as dark skinned African-American man.
The investigation is on-going.
Here is an image of a similar type of vehicle to the one that was carjacked.
Contact Vince Lattanzio at 610.668.5532, vince.lattanzio@nbcuni.com or follow @VinceLattanzio on Twitter.
