A Philadelphia woman who was arrested in March following an alleged racist tirade at a local nursing home died early Sunday morning after being struck by a hit and run driver on Kensington Avenue.
According to a pair of reports from 6ABC, 35-year-old Lauren Panas was attempting to cross Kensington Avenue in Philadelphia around 4 a.m. on June 6 when she was struck by a hit and run driver. The report states that Panas was rushed to an area hospital, however she was pronounced dead at 8:02 a.m. Sunday morning.
The family told 6ABC that they believe Panas was on her way to work. She typically worked nights at nursing homes, the report states.
The driver of the striking vehicle — believed to be a white 2021 Ford Escape — has not been identified or located at this time.
Panas was arrested in late March on misdemeanor charges of ethnic intimidation, simple assault and harassment, in connection with an incident that occurred at the Silver Stream Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Lower Gwynedd on March 19.
Police were dispatched to the scene at 6:11 a.m. for a report of a disturbance involving two employees, according to the criminal complaint. Investigators said that Panas punched a Black female employee twice in the face because she was taking too long changing a patient’s diaper. Panas then proceeded to repeatedly yell racial slurs while walking around the facility, according to the complaint.
As a result of the assault, the second employee sought out medical attention which revealed she had suffered a strained neck, the report states.
Court documents indicate that all charges were held at Panas’ preliminary hearing on May 20, and she was awaiting her formal arraignment at county court, which had been scheduled for July 14.
Panas was free on $10,000 unsecured bail, set by Magisterial District Judge Suzan Leonard at the preliminary hearing.
Following the incident, a human resources representative with the Silver Stream Nursing and Rehabilitation Center told North Penn Now that Panas had come to work at the facility through an outside agency, and she was no longer working or welcome at the nursing home in the wake of the incident.
To read more about the hit and run crash, click here and here.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using court records and the affidavit of probable cause.
See also:
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