The wrong-way driver of a commercial van struck and killed a woman in her 20s who was crossing a West Village street in the crosswalk on Thursday, police said.
According to the NYPD, the driver, whose name was not released, pulled out of a parking garage on Morton Street just east of Seventh Avenue at around 8:30 a.m. But instead of turning right to drive eastbound on one-way Morton, he made the illegal left, and then struck and killed 27-year-old Valerie Schoeck, who lived nearby.
Schoeck was taken to Bellevue Hospital where she died.
"When I looked out, she was already getting CPR from this passerby," said a person who works nearby. "People in the area immediately started helping her, but I think it was too late at that point."
Police said the collision was still under investigation and had no details about why the driver, a 61-year-old man, made the illegal turn westbound toward Seventh Avenue on Morton.
The driver remained at the scene and has not been charged, police added.
Heartbreaking news. Another person mercilessly killed just trying to cross the street. Parking garages and peds don’t mix. This appears to be dangerous design on the part of DOT, as the article states there is no signage letting drivers know which direction is the wrong way.
— Boba Cyclist 정 (@bobacyclist.bsky.social) 2025-11-06T17:05:16.739Z
It is unclear if the driver knew that Morton is a one-way, eastbound street. There is no "One Way" arrow immediately opposite the garage but the narrow street is clearly oriented eastbound.
But following the rules takes a lot longer. Residents of the area said that many drivers make the illegal left turn to head the wrong way on Morton from the garage because it eliminates the need to circle around the block with a right on Bleecker Street and then a second right onto Carmine Street before making the left onto Seventh Avenue.
Schoeck is the 93rd pedestrian killed through Nov. 2 this year, according to police. Over the same period this year, about 7,000 pedestrians have been injured by car drivers, or roughly 23 per day every day.
This story was updated after the NYPD released the victim's name.
