Update: The victim in this crash was identified as Mary Cerqua. The driver, Deborah Pecoraro, blamed Cerqua for the collision, but video footage led police to charge Pecoraro with a Right of Way Law violation, according to the Daily News. NY1 posted video of the crash.
A motorist struck and killed a senior in a crosswalk on Hylan Boulevard this morning.
The crash happened at 9:24 a.m. The 73-year-old victim was crossing Hylan east to west when she was hit by the driver of a Nissan SUV, who was turning left onto the boulevard from Wiman Avenue, the Staten Island Advance reported.
The victim sustained head trauma and was pronounced dead at Staten Island University Hospital, according to the Advance. Police had not released her name as of early this afternoon, pending family notification. The driver was identified only as a 55-year-old woman.
A police spokesperson could not confirm who had the right of way, but told Streetsblog "the motorist was taken in for questioning." The NYPD public information office had no further details about the investigation.
Drivers have killed at least seven people walking or biking on Hylan Boulevard in the last 12 months, according to crash data tracked by Streetsblog. City data show 17 people were injured in crashes at Hylan and Wiman since 2010.
Data compiled by the state indicate the number of crashes in Staten Island dropped last year, but traffic fatalities almost doubled compared to 2014. A 2015 DOT report found that while the number of pedestrians killed by motorists citywide declined sharply since the 1980s, Staten Island showed no downward trend.
Meanwhile, Staten Island electeds are far more inclined to pander to motorists -- even those who break traffic laws -- than take action to make streets safer.
This morning's fatal crash occurred in the 122nd Precinct, where officers issued just 200 failure to yield summonses in 2015, and in the City Council district represented by Joe Borelli.
