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Another Brooklyn Pedestrian is Dead — And Her Killer Driver is Uncharged

A woman was run down and killed by a driver on Avenue U in Bensonhurst on Sunday morning, cops said.
Another Brooklyn Pedestrian is Dead — And Her Killer Driver is Uncharged
File photo: Gersh Kuntzman

A woman was run down and killed by a driver on Avenue U in Sheepshead Bay on Sunday morning, cops said.

According to police, Gail Ackerman, 77, was crossing the busy commercial strip in the crosswalk from north to south at around 11:15 a.m. when the driver of a 2016 Nissan SUV slammed into her as he tried to turn left from E. 29th Street onto Avenue U.

Cops showed up and found Ackerman bloodied and with injuries to her pelvis. EMS took her to Kings County Hospital, where she died. The driver remained on the scene and was not charged, though the police report suggested that he did not yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk and, by killing her, failed to exercise due care.

Seven pedestrians and cyclists have been injured on the six blocks of Avenue U between Nostrand and Bedford avenues, a busy commercial stretch that lacks any safety upgrades.

Photo of 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.

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