Authorities said surveillance video captured a fight, a hammer attack and a fiery crash on North Broad Street.

PHILADELPHIA — A 27-year-old woman has been charged with attempted murder after authorities said she drove into her ex-boyfriend at a North Philadelphia car wash on April 8, sending him and her car into a wall.

Imani Walker was arrested and arraigned April 10 after investigators identified her as the driver in the crash at a car wash on North Broad Street. The man struck, 42-year-old Moctar Elias, worked at the business and later said he had dated Walker for about five years. The case now turns on video evidence, witness accounts and the decision by Philadelphia prosecutors to treat the crash as an intentional attack rather than only a traffic incident.

The encounter began on a Wednesday morning at the car wash, where Elias was on the job. Surveillance video described by police and local reports shows Walker arriving in a Volkswagen Jetta and speaking with Elias before the exchange turned physical. Officials said Walker slapped a coffee cup out of Elias’ hand, then swung at him. Elias swung back, and the two wrestled to the ground as co-workers moved toward them. “I was scared, I was really scared. I was surprised, thank God I’m still alive,” Elias said the next day after returning to the business to speak with co-workers and collect his belongings.

Investigators said the fight did not end when the two separated. Walker got into her car, drove toward Elias’ vehicle, got out and began smashing its windows with a hammer, officials said. Elias then picked up the hammer and struck Walker’s car as she reversed near the exit, according to police. The video then shows the Jetta moving forward toward Elias, who was standing near the vehicle. Police said Walker intentionally drove into him. The impact pushed Elias and the Jetta into a nearby wall, shattered the windshield and left the car burning as smoke rose from the front of the vehicle.

Co-workers at the car wash moved in during the chaotic aftermath. One worker dragged Elias away from the car after the crash, while another person tried to stop Walker from leaving, according to the video account. Walker fled on foot as the Jetta caught fire, officials said. Elias was taken to a hospital, where he was treated for neck and leg injuries. The injuries were not described as life-threatening. By the next day, Elias had been released and returned to the car wash, though he said he did not know whether he would be able to keep working there after the attack.

The car wash manager, Bou Bou Gory, said the pair appeared to be in a relationship and that the fight grew quickly. “She started arguing with him, hit him in the face,” Gory said. “She had a hammer in her hand.” Investigators have not publicly said what prompted the initial confrontation. Elias said nothing like it had happened before between him and Walker. “Never, never happened, never happened,” he said. He also said the two had broken up and that Walker may have been going through something, but he did not describe a prior pattern of violence.

Walker faces attempted murder, aggravated assault, accident involving death or personal injury, possession of an instrument of crime, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and criminal mischief. Court records reviewed in reports showed she posted a $75,000 bond after her arraignment. Online court documents did not list an attorney who could speak for her. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Margaret McDermott of the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office Family Violence and Sexual Assault Unit, a detail that placed the case within the office’s domestic violence caseload.

Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner said his office would pursue the case with support for Elias and others affected by the crash. “It is important that survivors of domestic violence know that, regardless of their gender, my office, along with community-based partners, will work vigorously to achieve justice for them,” Krasner said. He said the office’s Victim Services Unit would work with outside partners to support the survivor and co-survivors. The statement framed the prosecution as both an attempted murder case and a domestic violence case involving a male victim.

Elias gave a mixed response after the attack. His ex-wife, Nieema Elias, came to the car wash after hearing what happened and said she was worried about his safety. “I wish it never happened like that. She deserves to be in jail,” she said. Moctar Elias said he was still shaken but did not want Walker imprisoned. “I don’t want to see her go to jail to be honest,” he said. At the same time, he said the crash changed how he viewed the workplace. “I be scared to work,” he said.

Walker’s next scheduled court date was a preliminary hearing on April 24, where prosecutors would be expected to present enough evidence to move the case forward. As of the latest reports, the case remained pending and the full motive for the confrontation had not been publicly released.

Author note: Last updated May 5, 2026.