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

The Weekly Carnage is a Friday round-up of motor vehicle violence across the five boroughs. For more on the origins and purpose of this column, please read About the Weekly Carnage.

A hit-and-run driver killed Guler Ugur-Yaacobi in Morningside Heights on New Year’s Eve. Prezidor Porbeni was later charged with felony leaving the scene and unlicensed driving, court records say. NYPD and Manhattan DA Cy Vance did not charge Porbeni for causing a death. Photo: LinkedIn via Daily News
A hit-and-run driver killed pedestrian Guler Ugur-Yaacobi in Morningside Heights on New Year’s Eve. Prezidor Porbeni was later charged with felony leaving the scene and unlicensed driving, court records say. NYPD and Manhattan DA Cy Vance did not charge Porbeni for causing a death. Photo: LinkedIn via Daily News
A hit-and-run driver killed Guler Ugur-Yaacobi in Morningside Heights on New Year’s Eve. Prezidor Porbeni was later charged with felony leaving the scene and unlicensed driving, court records say. NYPD and Manhattan DA Cy Vance did not charge Porbeni for causing a death. Photo: LinkedIn via Daily News

Fatal Crashes (4 Killed Since Jan. 1*, 1 Driver Charged**)

    • Upper East Side: Wesley Mensing, 27, Struck by Uber Driver While Crossing Street With Girlfriend, Who Was Injured; No Charges Filed (Streetsblog 1, 2)
    • Edenwald: Dylon Ramirez, 16, Killed by Hit-and-Run Driver; 15-Year-Old Girl Critical (News,Post
    • Morningside Heights: Guler Ugur-Yaacobi, 44, Killed in Hit-and-Run on New Years Eve; Driver Later Charged With Leaving Scene, Driving With Suspended License (News, DNA)****
    • Verrazano-Narrows Bridge: Thomas Choi, 62, Struck in 2013, Dies From Injuries (WCBS)****
    • Cross Bronx Expressway: Pamela Pimental, 27, Killed When Driver Rear-Ends Livery Cab; Driver Charged With Homicide, DWI (Post)
    • Kensington: Jose Hoffman, 56, Killed in Four-Car Crash; 1 Injured (Bklyn Paper)

Injuries, Arrests, and Property Damage

    • Cobble Hill: Drunk Driver Smashes Into Bar Storefront (DNA)***
    • East Flatbush: 23 Injured, Three Critically, When Driver Triggers Crash Involving MTA Bus (News)
    • DSNY Truck Driver and Livery Cab Driver Collide as Both Attempt Turns (DNA)
    • Hudson Square: Man Hits Parked Cars, Port Authority Cruiser, Threatens Police (NewsDNA)
    • Laurelton: Driver Flips Car at Belt Parkway and Francis Lewis Boulevard (@NYScanner)
    • Old Town: Drunk Driver Backs Into Parked Ambulance, Twice (Advance)
    • Kensington: NYPD Officer Injured in Joyride on Cruiser's Hood (NewsPostWCBSBklyn Paper)
    • Lighthouse Hill: Driver Arrested for DWI After Crashing Into Rock Barrier (DNA)
    • Great Kills: Driver With Nearly Three Times the Legal BAC Crashes Into Telephone Pole (Advance)

* Based on latest available reports
** Drivers known to have been charged for causing a death in 2015
*** Incident in which a vehicle left the roadway
**** Crash occurred prior to 2015 and is not included in count

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

‘Zohramp’ At Williamsburg Bridge Still NYPD Ticket Trap … For Cyclists

Meanwhile, driver after driver blew the adjacent red light with impunity.

January 8, 2026

The ‘Affordability Crisis’ Conversation Can’t Leave Out the Cost of Cars

We can't talk about Americans' empty wallets without talking about our empty buses and sidewalks.

January 8, 2026

What Is A Life Worth In NYC? In Fatal Crashes, Sometimes Just $50

Drivers who kill pedestrians often face minimal punishment, a Streetsblog investigation found.

January 8, 2026

Thursday’s Headlines: ‘It’s Menin!’ Edition

The Council elected a new Speaker yesterday, but there was not much talk of transportation. Plus other news.

January 8, 2026

Two-Pronged Approach: City Will Appeal Judge’s Block on Astoria Bike Lane But Also Address Her Concerns

The city will appeal but will also complete a minor bureaucratic step that the Adams administration failed to complete, Streetsblog has learned.

January 7, 2026
See all posts