UPDATE: NYPD Arrests Driver Who Hit and Killed a Woman in the Crosswalk

The intersection where a driver struck and killed 33-year-old Ingrid Pineda-Cuellar.
The intersection where a driver struck and killed 33-year-old Ingrid Pineda-Cuellar.

Updated: Cops cuffed the driver who struck and killed a woman in a crosswalk of a Brooklyn intersection, the NYPD said on July 8.

On June 30, police offered preliminary information about the death of 33-year-old Ingrid Pineda-Cuellar, who was struck by 78-year-old Jean Victorin as she crossed Utica Avenue at 6:53 a.m. on June 27. Police said Victorin, who was driving a 2014 Toyota Sienna, struck Pineda-Cuellar as he made a left turn from Avenue L onto Utica.

Pineda-Cuellar was rushed to Kings County Hospital, where she died. The driver remained at the scene but was not immediately issued any tickets.

But more than a week later, on July 8, police arrested Victorin and charged him with failure to yield and failure to exercise due care.

The NYPD did not provide the following information:

  • Whether the driver was speeding.
  • Whether he was listening to loud music.
  • Whether he was distracted.
  • Whether he was using his phone at the time of the crash.

Such information rarely is made available, even after lengthy investigations.

In the last 12 months, there were 3,119 crashes in the 63rd Precinct, roughly nine per day, causing a total of 1,059 injuries — 131 to pedestrians and 36 cyclists. There were also five fatalities: one cyclist, one pedestrian and three motorists. There have been a total of 39 crashes, causing 22 injuries, at the intersection of Utica Avenue and Avenue L since June 2016, data shows.

Pineda-Cuellar, who is at least the 100th traffic fatality this year, according to the Department of Transportation, whose data shows that road deaths are up 15 percent this year compared to the same period last year. She is the second person killed in the 63rd Precinct this year — a driver hit and killed 29-year-old Robert Sommer as he was biking on Avenue U near E. 33rd Street on May 12.

  • Seymour Butz

    absolutely amazing that they won’t even go after the low hanging fruit. Pedestrian had right of way and driver hit her making a left hand turn, how much easier does it have to be presented for the cops to actually ticket on the scene!

  • Brooklynn

    maybe tickets aren’t issued when death is resulting because it person receiving the ticket decides to plead guilty the person who was killed cannot defend their side of things.

  • Blwndrpwrmlk96

    Of course the driver was speeding. It’s one thing to kill someone if you’re driving straight, it’s another to kill someone when you’re turning! Regardless if the pedestrian have the light or not, NYS DMV Road Manual Chapter 11 states:

    Pedestrians and skateboarders who are legally crossing the road or street at marked or unmarked crossings, like at an intersection, always have the right-of-way. You must decrease your speed or, if necessary, come to a complete stop. Elderly and disabled pedestrians can require additional time to complete their crossings

    With every continued avoidable traffic fatality, we know exactly what this mayor, and his Vision Zero, amounts to.

  • vnm

    NYPD, do your job! Ticket people who fail to decrease speed or come to a complete stop for pedestrians as described in the manual! If these actions resulted in the death of a person, it’s not hard to build a case!

  • William Lawson

    Remember a few years ago when the NYPD was ordered to start arresting drivers for failure to yield when a death’s involved, as a matter of policy? They complied for a couple of weeks (while the media was watching) and then it was back to their usual policy of not giving a shit. Naturally, de Blasio was too spineless to order the NYPD to comply. And this is how his bike lane vow will go as well. The NYPD might make a couple of BS gestures, rather like an uncooperative child dipping his foot in the bathtub and saying “there I took a bath just like you asked,” and then they’ll go straight back to permitting cars to park in bike lanes without consequence (especially their own).

  • William Lawson

    Imagine if that same reasoning was used for murder. “Let’s not prosecute the guy who pulled the trigger because he’ll just plead not guilty and the victim isn’t here to offer their version of events.”

  • William Lawson

    These drivers are technically committing involuntary manslaughter and could absolutely be charged with such, and found guilty. These are unlawful homicides which deserve at least 10 years in jail.

  • I am enraged .. we have 50 pedestrian dead this year and not an ounce of outrage … what gives ?

  • Brooklynn

    I’m not saying they should not be prosecuted. I am saying that in this scenario prosecution will not happen with a ticket but with trial. In your scenario, the person who pulled the trigger will not receive a ticket at the scene for murder from the responding officer instead they will have to stand trial. Think about it when has a shooter ever been issued a ticket at the scene. They usually have to stand trial.

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