Man run over by car he was pushing up the Manayunk Wall

A 20-year-old man is in extremely critical condition after he was run over by a car he was trying to push up the hilly street known as the Manayunk Wall early today in Northwest Philadelphia, police said.

Police said the man's girlfriend was behind the wheel of a disabled 1996 Volvo sedan on the 200 block of Levering Street about 4:15 man when he attempted to push it uphill.

The street has a steep 10-percent grade at that spot, police said. That means the elevation increases 10 feet for every 100 feet traveled.

The sedan rolled backward, dragging the man 25 to 30 feet before hitting a parked car and coming to a halt, police said.

Medics pulled the man from beneath the car and took him to Albert Einstein Medical Center, where he was reported in extremely critical condition.

An investigation is under way, police said. No charges have been filed yet.

The street and adjoining Lyceum Street are known as the Manayunk Wall because of the challenge it poses to bicyclists who must climb it 10 times as part of the annual Philadelphia International Cycling Championship.

Contact the Inquirer Online desk at online@phillynews.com