Carnage

Help Cops Find Bensonhurst Killer Driver

Police are hunting for the driver of a black sedan that ran over and killed a pedestrian in Bensonhurst on Sunday — and then kept driving.

By Gersh Kuntzman

10:55 PM EST on February 23, 2020

Help Cops Find Bensonhurst Killer Driver

Cops are looking for the driver of this black sedan, who killed Jose Contlas on Sunday. Photo: NYPD

Police are hunting for the driver of a black sedan that ran over and killed a pedestrian in Bensonhurst on Sunday — and then kept driving.

According to the NYPD, Jose Contla, 26, was walking alongside his vehicle on 19th Avenue near 86th Street at around 7:25 a.m. on Sunday when the driver of a black sedan, traveling south on 19th Avenue, hit him. EMTs found Contla unconscious in the roadway, his killer long gone. Contla died later at Maimonides Medical Center.

Later, cops released two short videos of the driver they are seeking:

Anyone with information is asked to call the Crimestoppers hotline at 800-577-8477 (TIPS), logging onto the Crimestoppers website, on tagging @NYPDTips on Twitter.

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.