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

Vance Pursues Manslaughter Case Against Upper West Side Pedestrian Killer

Margaret Fisher was killed crossing W. 93rd Street at Amsterdam Avenue last November. Photo: Daily News
Margaret Fisher was killed crossing W. 93rd Street at Amsterdam Avenue last November. Photo: Daily News

A motorist who ran down a retired nurse to allegedly avoid stopping for a red light on the Upper West Side has been indicted for manslaughter.

According to court documents, last November 26 Jessica Altruz of the Bronx was driving her Dodge Charger at a high rate of speed on W. 93rd Street toward Columbus Avenue, where Margaret Fisher was crossing on the west side of the intersection. Rather than hitting the brake, prosecutors and witnesses say, Altruz laid on the horn before striking Fisher with such force that one bystander reportedly thought she had happened upon a film shoot. Altruz continued driving on W. 93rd until she reached Amsterdam Avenue, where she was stopped by another driver and a pedestrian witness.

Fisher, knocked some 70 feet by the impact of the collision, was pronounced dead at St. Luke's-Roosevelt. She was 67.

Altruz, 24, was initially charged only with leaving the scene. Further investigation by Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance's office, which included gathering witness accounts and obtaining surveillance video, led to a charge of second degree manslaughter.

“The defendant’s reckless driving ended the remarkable life of a retired nurse who, on the day after Thanksgiving, was doing nothing more than walking home with her groceries,” said Vance in a statement issued Tuesday. “Importantly, New Yorkers who provided eyewitness accounts of the crash to our Vehicular Crimes Unit were instrumental in helping the Office obtain an indictment on more serious charges than at the time of the defendant’s arrest. We are extremely grateful that they came forward to provide critical evidence.”

A tearful Altruz, who at the scene protested that she "had the light," pleaded not guilty in Manhattan Supreme Court Tuesday. She is being held on $100,000 bail and faces up to 15 years in prison. "(She was) hell bent on making a traffic light and for her Margaret Fisher was simply an inconvenient obstacle," said ADA Jordan Arnold, as quoted by the Daily News.

Taken in isolation, Cy Vance's prosecution of Jessica Altruz should be encouraging to most anyone who walks the streets of New York. Consider, for instance, the stark contrast between the handling of this case and the Florence Cioffi travesty, which unfolded under the leadership of former Manhattan DA Robert Morgenthau, when a speeding drunk driver who left the scene of a fatal crash received 16 days in jail and 250 hours of community service.

Streetsblog will be watching the outcome of the Fisher case, which seems on track to rest in a jury's hands. We'll also be following Vance's office to see if the dogged prosecution of apparent deadly recklessness is applied consistently in future cases where traffic violence harms New Yorkers.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

New Bill Would Block Apps From Deactivating Workers Without Cause

A Brooklyn Council member wants delivery app companies to be more human and less robot.

July 18, 2025

Friday Video: Is Berlin a Great Biking City?

Have recent moves by anti-bike, pro-car legislators ruined the experience in the capital of a unified Germany? Sort of!

July 18, 2025

Eyes on the Street: Meeker Avenue Bike Lane Is a Failure

The Department of Transportation still hasn't finished a critical bike lane under the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway that the agency has been stalling for over four years even after identifying the strip's danger and lack of proper signals.

July 18, 2025

Friday’s Headlines: Cuomo’s Road Rage Edition

Why does Andrew Cuomo drive so recklessly? Plus other news.

July 18, 2025

Fixing Third Ave. Was Once ‘Top of List’ For Eric Adams — But as Mayor He Backed Off

Mayor Adams has delayed a redesign of Brooklyn's Third Avenue despite once saying safety fixes there should be "at the top of our list."

July 17, 2025

Thursday’s Headlines: Jerry Nadler Edition

U.S. Rep. Jerry Nadler faced off with Sean Duffy on Capitol Hill. Plus more news.

July 17, 2025
See all posts