Surveillance footage recovered thus far within the alleged hit-and-run that injured 76ers ahead Kelly Oubre Jr. exhibits no proof {that a} crash occurred on the Middle Metropolis intersection the place Oubre reported being hit on Saturday night time, police mentioned.
“The Police Division at present doesn’t have any video or photographic proof that depicts this collision,” Sgt. Eric Gripp, a division spokesperson, mentioned Wednesday. “We proceed to work in hopes of gathering proof and we encourage anybody who has data to achieve out to our crash investigation unit.”
Two staff of companies close to the reported crash web site advised The Inquirer they reviewed roughly two hours of footage from that night on their work surveillance techniques and didn’t see the crash. They requested to stay nameless because of the high-profile nature of the case.
Gripp emphasised that police haven’t accused Oubre of something and the investigation is ongoing. However the lack of quick visible proof confirming the crash on a well-trafficked downtown avenue raises questions in regards to the data Oubre supplied to police.
A supply aware of the state of affairs mentioned that Oubre could not have supplied an correct account of the place and when the crash allegedly occurred.
Oubre is new to the realm — he signed with the group on Sept. 26 and solely lately moved right into a Middle Metropolis condo — in accordance with the supply, and he was shaken up by his accidents when he gave his account to the police. The participant was solely certain that he was strolling again to his residence.
In an incident report launched Saturday, police mentioned a crash occurred at 7:20 p.m. close to fifteenth and Spruce Streets. A 27-year-old pedestrian, later recognized by the Sixers as Oubre, was reportedly strolling westbound on Spruce when a silver car rushing in the identical route tried to show south onto Hicks Avenue and struck him within the higher chest space with the motive force’s-side mirror. Police mentioned medics handled Oubre on the scene and transported him to Thomas Jefferson College Hospital, the place he was handled for a broken rib and injuries to his hip and leg.
Such night-of police stories comprise preliminary data, usually supplied by a criminal offense or crash sufferer, and new particulars typically emerge that battle with the preliminary description.
Drafted by the Atlanta Hawks out of Kansas in 2015, Oubre was acquired by the Sixers in the course of the offseason and has been a catalyst for the group’s unexpectedly robust begin to the season.
The group initially mentioned Oubre was anticipated to overlook vital time as a result of his accidents. However Oubre has proven up on the Sixers observe facility this week, and went by means of one other gentle exercise on Wednesday. The group is hopeful that he might return inside weeks, reasonably than months. “He rode the train bike for a bit bit,” coach Nick Nurse mentioned Tuesday. “So he’s doing OK.”
Hours after information of the conflicting proof broke Wednesday, Nurse discovered himself taking questions on Oubre throughout his pregame press convention forward of the Sixers’ matchup in opposition to the Boston Celtics. Requested whether or not he believed Oubre’s account, the coach mentioned he took his participant at his phrase in regards to the reported hit-and-run.
“Hear, I don’t assume it’s particularly reasonable to him to say that he’s made up some story,” Nurse mentioned. “He’s one in all our gamers, and we’re going to face behind him. So am I.”
He added: “If some extra proof or the rest involves gentle, we’ll deal with it on the subject of gentle.”
