The driver accused of fatally striking Children's Hospital of Philadelphia doctor Barbara Friedes on her bike in Center City last summer pleaded guilty Tuesday to multiple offenses, court records show.
Michael Vahey, 69, of Philadelphia, allegedly had a blood-alcohol concentration more than twice the legal limit and was speeding when he struck Friedes, 30, in a bike lane on July 17. Friedes was on the 1800 block of Spruce Street when Vahey's Volkswagen swerved into the bike lane to try to get around other cars, authorities said.
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Vahey pleaded guilty to homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence, involuntary manslaughter, recklessly endangering another person and related offenses.
Friedes was a third-year pediatric resident at CHOP. Her death prompted outrage from cyclists and traffic safety advocates who criticized city leaders for failing to create safer streets in Center City. Activists called for the installation of concrete barriers that would separate bike lanes from vehicle traffic along Spruce and Pine streets, the most widely used bike lanes in Center City.
In October, the city's Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems held meetings with community groups to discuss adding the concrete barriers and other safety upgrades. Mayor Cherelle Parker's budget proposal includes funding for those improvements on Spruce and Pine streets, along with increased funding for the city's Vision Zero traffic safety initiative.
The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia said Tuesday it stands with Friedes family, who have joined advocates' push for safer infrastructure.
"Though the guilty plea provides some sense of closure and justice served, we hope to see permanent road improvements soon, so that no family has to go through this terrible trauma in the first place," spokesperson Nicole Brunet said. "We are dedicated to advocating for the goal of Vision Zero and for victim's families. Everyone deserves to get home safely."
Vahey had a prior DUI conviction from 2009 when he drove the wrong way down Pine Street in South Philadelphia. Before the crash that killed Friedes, that conviction had been expunged from his record, because he completed a court-ordered drug and alcohol rehabilitation program.
Court records show Vahey will be sentenced on July 22, five days after the anniversary of the crash.
