Arrest made in hit-and-run of lesbian

Tiffany Reed

One month after Tiffany Reed, who was preparing to get married in February to her girlfriend Indiana Johnson, lost her life in a hit-and-run on Broad Street, Philadelphia Police have arrested the man who allegedly was driving the vehicle that killed her.

Police announced homicide by vehicle charges against Todd Burton, 21, of Philadelphia. He was jailed on $200,000 bail, according to court records.

Police posted a video of the incident on the PPD YouTube channel. The intersection is wide and brightly lit. Surveillance video shows the vehicle police say left the scene. Video clearly shows the vehicle striking Reed and running her over.

Police investigators said they believe the driver was aware of striking someone because the driver immediately made a right onto Glenwood Avenue.

Police had no comment on how the arrest was made but did say that according to investigators, the condition of Burton’s car and the video are strong indicators that Burton was traveling at a high rate of speed when he struck Reed and left her in the street.

“We did recover evidence indicating the vehicle was going at a high rate of speed — almost highway speeds, so, well over the posted speed limit,” said Sgt. Joseph Rosso.

Johnson did not speak to the media about the arrest, and Reed’s family members are still suffering from their recent loss.

Gwendolyn Canty, Reed’s stepmother, told reporters she was “Just really, really sad. I thought that it would feel much better, but it just seems like it just got harder.”

Reed’s sister Nyanna Crosby pleaded for an arrest when Reed was killed. She said of the perpetrator, “He still has his life. My sister doesn’t have hers. So, it’s just like he still has the upper hand; he still kind of won.”

Burton was arrested and charged with a series of offenses: an accident involving death, homicide by vehicle, involuntary manslaughter, tampering with evidence and recklessly endangering another person.

Reed, 29, from the 2500 block of North 18th Street, was hit by a car at about 3:45 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 12, at the intersection of Broad and Lehigh in North Philadelphia. She was walking home after her shift as a manager at a local fast-food restaurant and was scheduled to marry Johnson only a few weeks later.

“We are all hurting,” Johnson told reporters on Jan. 14. “The family is hurting.”

Reed was rushed to nearby Albert Einstein Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead after 13 hours, with extensive injuries, according to Johnson and hospital records.

Johnson said Jan. 14 that she could not believe the driver kept going after hitting her fiancée. “Why didn’t they stop is my question. Why not stop to make sure she’s OK?” Johnson asked. “We need justice. She needs justice. Her family needs justice. Everyone is hurting.”

Canty previously said of her stepdaughter, “They left her there like a piece of trash — like they ran over a paper bag and kept moving. You’re an animal. I’ll never forgive you.”

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