Kelly Oubre Jr.’s hit-and-run case has thrown up a surprising twist.
The Philadelphia 76ers forward was reportedly hit by a vehicle while walking outside his apartment last week, suffering bruises, cuts, and broken ribs. But the Philadelphia Police Department says it has yet to find any evidence of a crash at the location Oubre claims to have been struck.
The 27-year-old said he was walking near the Hicks and Spruce Street intersection when a speeding vehicle made a right turn and knocked him down, hitting him in the chest area.
According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, Sgt. Eric Gripp is claiming that the department hasn’t found anything to suggest there was a wreck in the area despite going over surveillance footage.
“The Police Department currently does not have any video or photographic evidence that depicts this collision,” Gripp is quoted as saying. “We continue to work in hopes of gathering evidence and we encourage anyone who has information to reach out to our crash investigation unit.”
The lawman added that he wasn’t implying that the player lied but the exact timing and location of the crash are under question. Oubre is new to the Philly area as he joined the Sixers in late September, but he does live right next to where the supposed incident took place.
Meanwhile, fans on social media have compared the forward to actor Jussie Smollet, who staged a fake hate crime against himself in 2019.
The aforementioned publication also reports that persons working at various businesses in the area viewed two hours of footage and didn’t find anything corroborating the claims.