A driver struck and killed an elderly woman crossing the street in the Homecrest neighborhood of Brooklyn this morning, according to the NYPD.
The driver, a 36-year-old male, was turning left from E. 15th Street onto Avenue S when he hit a 75-year-old woman crossing north on Avenue S. She was declared dead on arrival at the New York Community Hospital. According to Sheepshead Bites, which first reported on the crash, the victim suffered from traumatic arrest, in which the heart stops beating after an impact to the chest.
Though it seems likely the victim had the right-of-way and the driver failed to yield, assuming both went on a green light instead of a red, the police say that "no criminality is suspected" in this case. "It just appears to be an accident," said an NYPD spokesperson.
Two years ago, the local community board argued against bringing DOT's Safe Streets for Seniors program to an area starting one block south of this intersection. Safety improvements like longer crossing times and pedestrian refuge islands were derided as potentially getting in the way of drivers. This crash also took place across the street from a playground.
Less than two weeks ago, 13-year-old cyclist Henry Garcia was killed by a hit-and-run driver a mile and a half away from this intersection. Aaron Dudkin, an 80-year-old man, was killed by a 21-year-old driver just seven blocks away last December. Police did not file charges in that case either.
This fatal crash occurred in the 61st Precinct. To voice your concerns about neighborhood traffic safety directly to Deputy Inspector Georgios Mastrokostas, the commanding officer, head to the next precinct community council meeting. The 61st Precinct council meetings happen at 7:30 p.m. on the second Wednesday of the month at 3093 Ocean Ave. Call the precinct at 718-627-6611 for information.
