Police said his former girlfriend later faced attempted murder and related charges in the North Philadelphia case.
PHILADELPHIA — A car wash worker injured when his ex-girlfriend allegedly drove into him returned to the North Broad Street business the next day and said the crash left him afraid to work again.
Moctar Elias, 42, became the central witness in a case that prosecutors filed two days after the April 8 crash. Authorities said Imani Walker, 27, struck him with her Volkswagen Jetta after an argument, a fight and damage to his car at the North Philadelphia business. Elias survived with neck and leg injuries, but the case moved quickly from a workplace disturbance to an attempted murder prosecution built around surveillance video and the accounts of people who watched the confrontation unfold.
Elias went back to the car wash on April 9, not for a regular shift, but to check in with co-workers and gather his belongings. He said he was still trying to process the violence. “I was scared, I was really scared. I was surprised, thank God I’m still alive,” Elias said. The remark came one day after video showed him being hit and pushed into a wall with the car that struck him. He told reporters he and Walker had been together for about five years before breaking up. He said they had never had a fight like the one that happened at the car wash.
The confrontation that injured Elias started while he was working. Officials said Walker came to the car wash in a Volkswagen Jetta and confronted him. The video shows the two talking before the exchange escalated. Police said Walker slapped a coffee cup out of his hand, then swung at him. Elias swung back, and the two wrestled to the ground. Other workers moved toward them and tried to break up the fight. The first stage of the incident appeared to end with people around them, but investigators said Walker then turned to Elias’ car and brought the hammer into the dispute.
Police said Walker got into her vehicle, drove up to Elias’ car, got out and began smashing its windows with a hammer. Elias later said he did not expect to see the tool. “I didn’t expect to see the hammer. When the hammer fell, I grabbed the hammer,” Elias said. Officials said Elias picked it up and struck Walker’s car as she reversed. The Jetta then moved away before driving forward toward Elias. Investigators said the vehicle hit him on purpose, carried him into a wall and broke the windshield. The car caught fire soon after the crash.
The fire added danger to a scene that already had injured a worker and damaged at least one vehicle. One co-worker dragged Elias away from the Jetta, according to video accounts. Another person tried to hold Walker as smoke rose and the vehicle burned. Walker left the area on foot, officials said. Elias was taken to a hospital for treatment and later released. Police initially had not made an arrest, but investigators said they knew who was behind the wheel. By April 10, officials identified Walker and announced the charges against her.
Walker is charged with 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. Reports citing court records said she posted a $75,000 bond after arraignment. The case was assigned to Assistant District Attorney Margaret McDermott in the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office Family Violence and Sexual Assault Unit. That assignment highlighted how prosecutors viewed the relationship between Walker and Elias as part of the alleged crime, not as a side detail.
District Attorney Larry Krasner said the office and its community partners would work for justice in the case. He said male survivors of domestic violence should be recognized by the justice system. His office also said its Victim Services Unit would work with outside partners to help Elias and others affected by the attack. Officials did not release a detailed motive or say whether Walker had made statements to investigators. Online court information cited in local reports did not list a defense attorney who could comment on her behalf.
Elias’ ex-wife, Nieema Elias, also came to the car wash after the crash and said she was concerned for his well-being. She described the crash as an attempt to take a life. Moctar Elias gave a different emotional response, saying he still had forgiveness for Walker. “I don’t want to see her go to jail to be honest,” he said. His words stood beside a harder reality at the workplace. He had gone back to pick up belongings, but he said he did not know whether he could return to his job. “I be scared to work,” he said.
The case’s next major step was set for April 24, when Walker was scheduled for a preliminary hearing. Prosecutors were expected to rely on the video, witness accounts and medical records tied to Elias’ injuries. The reason the argument began remained publicly unknown.
Author note: Last updated May 5, 2026.