Carnage

Driver Charged in Fatal Chinatown Crash that Killed a Senior

A 90-year-old woman has died of injuries sustained when a driver ran her down in Chinatown earlier this month — a rare incident where the driver was charged.

By Gersh Kuntzman

2:45 PM EST on November 26, 2018

Driver Charged in Fatal Chinatown Crash that Killed a Senior

Photo: Franz Golhen

A 90-year-old woman has died of injuries sustained when a driver ran her down in Chinatown earlier this month — a rare incident where the driver was charged.

According to police, Ngan Leung, 90, was crossing with the light the Bowery at Bayard Street at around 1 p.m. on Nov. 15 when an unidentified, 66-year-old driver hit her with his Toyota Sienna as he turned left onto Bowery from Bayard. Leung, who had been in the crosswalk, according to police, died of her injuries at Bellevue Hospital six days later.

The driver was charged with failure to yield — a misdemeanor punishable by a maximum of 30 days in jail.

It is rare for police to charge drivers with failure to yield, as Streetsblog’s recent coverage shows.

Update: On March 19, the NYPD identified the driver as Benny Louie, 67, of Mott Street.

Gersh Kuntzman

Tabloid legend Gersh Kuntzman has been with New York newspapers since 1989, including stints at the New York Daily News, the Post, the Brooklyn Paper and even a cup of coffee with the Times. He's also the writer and producer of "Murder at the Food Coop," which was a hit at the NYC Fringe Festival in 2016, and “SUV: The Musical” in 2007. He also writes the Cycle of Rage column, which is archived here.