A 17-year-old girl is recovering after she was beaten by a man on a SEPTA trolley after bumping into him with her bag while traveling to school on Wednesday morning.
The girl, who asked to be identified only as Shay for fear of retribution, was on the Route 15 trolley heading eastbound along Girard Avenue around 7:30 a.m. when the altercation happened.
She tells NBC10 her backpack bumped into the man several times during the ride. He complained, but she ignored him. Upset, the man then pulled Shay's hat from her head, she said.
When she went down to pick up the hat, the man had made a fist and cocked his arm, she said. The teen went to defend herself and was beaten, according to the girl and police.
Another passenger caught the entire altercation on video with their smartphone. In the video, you can see the man punch the teen at least twice in the face. Police said they're also reviewing surveillance video from onboard the trolley.
The man got off the trolley at 7th Street and Girard Avenue and fled. Detectives with Philadelphia Police's East Detective division are now searching for him.
Shay's eye was swollen shut, she suffered bruising and she may have had her nose broken in the assault.
U.S. & World
The day's top national and international news.
Anyone with information is asked to call Philadelphia Police at 215.686.TIPS.
