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

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.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Andy Byford’s ‘Trump Card’ On Penn Station Keeps Wrecking New York’s Infrastructure Projects

What will become of the Amtrak executive's plans for Penn Station under President Trump?

February 6, 2026

FLASHBACK: What Happened To Car-Free ‘Snow Routes’ — And Could They Have Helped City Clear the Streets?

Remember those bright red signs that banned parking from snow emergency routes? Here is the curious story of how New York City abandoned a key component of its snow removal system.

February 6, 2026

Council Transportation Chair Vows To Take On Drivers: ‘I Don’t Want To Just Futz Around the Edges’

Streetsblog grilled new chairman Shaun Abreu, who says he wants to bring more life and fewer cars to the street.

February 6, 2026

Friday’s Headlines: New York’s Strongest Edition

It's still snow problem around town. Plus other news.

February 6, 2026

Budget Crunch: Advocates Push Mamdani For Massive Fair Fares Expansion

The expansion would offer free transit on the subway and bus for people making up to 150 percent of the federal poverty level, which is not a lot.

February 5, 2026
See all posts