Traffic Enforcement

Driver Charged in ‘Accident’ That Killed Upper West Side Senior

A driver who killed an Upper West Side senior in May — a crash that one cop said was just an "accident" — has been charged in the death, police said.

By Gersh Kuntzman

7:52 PM EDT on July 12, 2023

Driver Charged in ‘Accident’ That Killed Upper West Side Senior

The man in this picture — struck by a van driver last week, yet taken to the hospital in stable condition — ended up dying. File photo: Ken Coughlin

Oh, so it wasn’t an “accident” after all.

Here’s how we initially covered the crash.

A driver who killed an Upper West Side senior in May — a crash that one cop said was just an “accident” — has been charged in the death, police said on Wednesday.

Jose Naula Remache, 45, of Queens, was charged with failing to yield to Angel Rodriguez- Albuquerque, 74, who lived near the corner of Amsterdam Avenue and W. 106th Street, where he was killed.

According to cops, Rodriguez-Albuquerque had been in the crosswalk at around 3:45 p.m. on May 10 when Remache, driving a massive 2017 Ram pickup, hit him as the driver turned onto Amsterdam.

Though Rodriguez-Albuquerque was taken to Mt. Sinai Hospital in stable condition with lacerations and head trauma, he died two days later.

A cop on the scene minutes after the crash had told Streetsblog that there had not been any initial charges because “accidents do happen.”

Apparently not, given Wednesday’s charges.

Violating the city’s right-of-way law carries a maximum of a $250 fine and 30 days in jail, but prison sentences are rare.

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.