Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Carnage

Truck Driver Charged for Killing Two Pedestrians

35620542.jpg

The driver of a private garbage truck has been charged with two counts of manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide after striking and killing two British tourists Tuesday night, according to media reports.

Jacqueline Timmins and Andrew Hardie, of Yeovil in southern England, were hit at 10:28 p.m. as they walked on the sidewalk near the entrance to their hotel, a Comfort Inn on W. 35th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. Police say the driver of the truck, Auvryn Scarlett, 52, of Irvington, N.J., had a seizure before jumping the curb, barreling down the sidewalk and hitting three people. The truck stopped after slamming into a closed restaurant.

The third pedestrian, Abayomi Henderson, 23, of Queens, is at Bellevue Hospital, where he was in serious but stable condition Wednesday.

Police and the Manhattan DA's office say Scarlett told investigators that he has a prescription for an anti-seizure drug, which he chose not to take.

"Apparently, he stopped taking his medication," an NYPD spokeswoman told the Daily News. "It was a conscious decision, so he's being charged."

According to the Times, which talked with officials in New Jersey, where Scarlett has his commercial license, anyone "found to have recurrent seizures" would be disqualified from driving commercial vehicles. Drivers are required to submit a "fitness statement" from a doctor every two years.

A co-worker was in the cab of the truck with Scarlett, but was unable to keep it under control, reports say.

Timmins and Hardie -- whose ages are in dispute, though the Times and News say they were both 47 -- are the second and third Manhattan pedestrians to die this week. On Monday, Harvey Katz, 69, was hit by a cab and a bus on W. 57th Street between Eighth and Ninth Avenues. He died at Bellevue. No charges were filed.

Photo: Charles Eckert/Newsday

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Judge Orders Trump to Restore $34M in Security Funding to MTA

DHS overstepped its authority when it attempted to tie money from the Transit Security Grant Program to the Trump administration's efforts to deport immigrants, Judge Lewis Kaplan said.

October 16, 2025

Friday Video: Drool Over This London School Street

That's cricket! Check out how London transformed a roadway around a big stadium into a play street.

October 16, 2025

Thursday’s Headlines: Gateway ‘Terminator’ Edition

President Trump abruptly announced he'd "terminated" the Gateway Tunnel project while taking aim at Chuck Schumer. Plus more news.

October 16, 2025

Trump’s Electrification Cuts are Short-Sighted: Report

EV infrastructure is far more valuable to the nation's prosperity and jobs market than the White House believes, according to a new report.

October 16, 2025

Wednesday’s Headlines: Another Highway Boondoggle Erased Edition

Maybe the worm has turned on these awful boondoggles? Plus other news.

October 15, 2025

Book Excerpt Special: ‘War on Cars’ Hosts Explore Life After the Automobile

...and why it's so urgent that we work for a better future.

October 15, 2025
See all posts