Police have arrested one driver and hit him with a slew of charges for killing a beloved Brooklyn senior — but the other driver who also hit 79-year-old Yvonne Sandiford remains at large.
According to the NYPD, Marlon Alston, 34, was one of two drivers who hit and killed Sandiford on New York Avenue at around 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 2. The NYPD declined to say which vehicle — a gray Nissan Rogue or a white Toyota Sienna — Alston was driving. Cops are still looking for the other driver, but declined to inform the public which car they believe he was driving, making it difficult for the public to provide any tips.
Alston was arrested on Thursday afternoon and was charged with a top count of criminally negligent homicide, plus leaving the scene, failure to exercise due care and failure to yield.
Sandiford was "the rock" of her family, an acquaintance told Streetsblog.
Sandiford was a member of an extended community of residents or former residents of British territories who are supported by the St. George's Society, a charity that dates back to 1770.
"She was born in Barbados and worked very hard — and cared for her older sister," said Mary Lamasney, a social worker with the organization. "She was the person keeping it all together. The whole family is so devastated. This was not some 'old lady.' She was the rock of this family. Reckless driving not just killed Yvonne, but her sister, her kids and everyone who cared about her. It's so cruel."
The fatal crash occurred inside what the city calls a Senior Pedestrian Zone, where investments are supposed to be made to increase safety for older New Yorkers. But, this intersection remained unchanged — and, according to Transportation Alternatives, "unsafe."
North of Herkimer Street, New York Avenue widens to three moving lanes, encouraging drivers to speed, the group added.
Between January 2022 and Sandiford's death, there were 45 reported crashes on New York Avenue in just the two blocks between Atlantic Avenue and Fulton Street. Those crashes injured two cyclists, five pedestrians and 22 motorists, according to city stats.
