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3 pedestrians killed by drivers in NYC over the weekend, 4th injured, NYPD says
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Published Dec 2, 2024
Modified Dec 2, 2024
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José A. Alvarado Jr. / Gothamist
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Published Dec 2, 2024
Modified Dec 2, 2024
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Drivers struck four pedestrians, killing three, in separate collisions in the Bronx and Brooklyn over the weekend, according to the NYPD.
All the incidents happened at night, and police made no immediate arrests. They come as official data shows traffic deaths across the city have declined this year compared to last. Still, there have been more than 200 fatalities on local roads this year up to November, and city officials and traffic experts say it’s a dangerous time on the roads because of reduced visibility from earlier sunsets after the end of Daylight Saving Time.
Police said 60-year-old Dwight Downer was fatally hit just after midnight on Saturday when a BMW driver collided with a pickup truck and then careened into four parked cars near the intersection of Eastchester Road and Givan Avenue in the Bronx’s Baychester neighborhood.
Downer, a beloved local football coach, was standing next to one of the parked cars the BMW hit, right in front of his home, according to police. He was pronounced dead at Jacobi Hospital.
Officials said the 24-year-old driver stayed at the scene and was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
Around 8 p.m. on Saturday night, another 60-year-old man was struck and killed by a driver in the Bronx, the NYPD said.
Uddin Shahi was crossing the intersection of Bruckner Boulevard and Castle Hill Avenue from north to south when he was hit by a 33-year-old woman driving a Jeep Compass, according to police.
Shahi was pronounced dead at Jacobi Hospital, while the driver stayed on scene, police said.
The NYPD said a third pedestrian was struck and killed on Sunday around 5:30 p.m. in Midwood, Brooklyn.
Police said 73-year-old Chana Layosh was crossing Avenue L and East 12th Street when she was hit by a 57-year-old man driving a Jeep Grand Cherokee eastbound on the avenue.
Layosh was pronounced dead at Maimonides Midwood Community Hospital, and the driver stayed at the scene, officials said.
Later on Sunday, just before 7 p.m., a fourth pedestrian was critically injured at the intersection of East 188th Street and Grand Concourse in Fordham Heights by a 69-year-old man driving a Toyota SUV, according to the NYPD.
The male victim, whom police did not identify, was taken to St. Barnabas Hospital, and the driver again stayed at the scene.
A total of 27 traffic deaths have been reported in the Bronx this year up to November, compared to 40 in Brooklyn, according to the NYC Crash Mapper tool.
This is a developing story based on preliminary information from police and has been updated with additional information.
Tagged
new york city
public safety
transportation
Brittany Kriegstein
Brittany Kriegstein covers all breaking news around New York City, with a focus on crime and gun violence. Got a tip? Email Brittany at [email protected].
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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