Cephas honors life of young hit-and-run victim with street renaming
2300 block of Lansdowne Ave. now known as “Jayanna Powell Way”
Rep. Morgan B. Cephas December 8, 2025 | 10:25 AM
PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 8 – On Saturday, Dec. 6, state Rep. Morgan Cephas, D-Phila. co-hosted a ceremony at North 63rd Street and Lansdowne Avenue in the Overbrook section of West Philadelphia to rename the 6300 block of Lansdowne Avenue as “Jayanna Powell Way” in honor of the victim of a hit-and-run accident on that block in November 2016. Eight-year-old Jayanna Powell was tragically killed while walking home from school by a reckless driver who was apprehended weeks later after fleeing the scene of the accident.
Cephas was joined at the ceremony by Councilmember Curtis Jones Jr. who presented a City Council Resolution making the renaming official. Also speaking at the event were state Sen. Anthony H. Williams, D-Phila./Delaware, Jayanna’s mother Ayeisha Powell and her aunt, Jasmine Hawkins.
“The loss of Jayanna Powell was a devastating shock that continues to resonate with the Overbrook community,” Cephas said. “By renaming this block in her honor we remember the potential of a precious life sadly lost far too young, while focusing on her legacy to be a force for good in her community.”
Cephas has been working with Williams to preserve Jayanna’s legacy through the introduction of legislation (H.B. 988) that would create a statewide hit-and-run advisory system named “Jay Alerts” in her honor. The system would notify all vehicle repair facilities in Pennsylvania with critical information about vehicles involved in accidents to minimize the time between hit-and-run accidents and the apprehension of suspects.
"Senselessly losing a young person so early in their life is tragic in every sense of the word, and Jayanna's loss was especially heartbreaking for us as a community,” said Williams. “I hope our actions today bring some solace to Jayanna’s family. She will never be forgotten, and her spirit will live on through our proposed Jay Alerts system."
The 192nd Legislative District comprises communities in West Philadelphia which are north and west of Market Street, including Overbrook, Overbrook Park, Wynnefield, Carroll Park and more.