Cephas introduces bill to increase pedestrian safety

“Jay Alerts” would create notification system to monitor for hit-and-run vehicles

Philadelphia House Delegation    October 7, 2024 | 3:48 PM

State Rep. Morgan Cephas, D-Phila. will soon introduce legislation that would create a statewide Hit-and-Run Advisory Alert system, to be known as “Jay Alerts.” The bill aims to reduce hit-and-run accidents and enhance the swift identification and apprehension of drivers who flee the scene of accidents resulting in serious bodily injury or death. 

Cephas said the inspiration for the legislation is a young constituent of hers who lost her life in 2016 in the Overbrook section of West Philadelphia. “Jayanna Powell was only eight years old when she was tragically killed in a hit-and-run accident while walking home from school. We named Jay Alerts in her honor, as this notification system could have led to a quicker capture of the driver who had a friend take his car to a body shop in an attempt to hide the nature of the damage.

“Luckily, the repair shop owner had seen information on the news about Jayanna’s accident and recognized the car, but not all victims can rely on news reports and luck to expose offending vehicle information to repair shops,” Cephas said. “Jay Alerts would act as a deterrent to fleeing the scene of an accident while effecting a quicker resolution and justice for victims of these tragic incidents and their families.”

In Philadelphia alone, there have already been 26 hit-and-run accidents this year, on top of 45 incidents in 2023, with very few of those resulting in arrests. On Sept. 26, 2024, Dawn Watson, a 14-year-old girl was killed in another hit-and-run accident only blocks away from where Jayanna Powell was killed nearly eight years earlier.

To facilitate the Jay Alerts notification system, all vehicle repair facilities would need to register with PennDOT to ensure accurate contact information.