Skip to content

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.
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.

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.

Read More:

Streetsblog has migrated to a new comment system. New commenters can register directly in the comments section of any article. Returning commenters: your previous comments and display name have been preserved, but you'll need to reclaim your account by clicking "Forgot your password?" on the sign-in form, entering your email, and following the verification link to set a new password — this is required because passwords could not be carried over during the migration. For questions, contact tips@streetsblog.org.

More from Streetsblog New York City

Rampant Placard Abuse is Mucking Up This Bike Lane in Downtown Brooklyn

April 13, 2026

Mamdani Is Falling Short of New York City’s Greenway Dream

April 13, 2026

Push Grows To Move Parking Enforcement From NYPD To DOT

April 13, 2026

Monday’s Headlines: A Century of Days Edition

April 13, 2026

FIRST ON STREETSBLOG: Mamdani To Fully Fund Trash Containerization

April 12, 2026
See all posts