The NYPD are actively looking for five negligent hit and run drivers who killed a bicyclist as well as two pedestrians and injured two other pedestrians.
The first accident took place Sunday morning in the Bronx around 1:30 am. 63 year old Jose Contreras was attempting to cross Webster Avenue at the intersection of 175th street when he was struck by a grey SUV. The driver never stopped. The victim who had just attended his sister’s birthday at a nearby catering hall was found by his son. He suffered severe trauma and was rushed to the hospital. He didn’t survive. The police are looking for a 2001-2006 gray suburban Cadillac Escalade. More information about the accident can be found on the ABC7NY website.
The second accident occurred less than an hour later in Queens, NYC. A 22 year old woman was crossing Guy R. Brewer Boulevard at 118th Road in South Jamaica when she was hit by a silver minivan. The driver never stopped. The police found the young pedestrian unconscious on the ground. She was taken to the hospital where she was diagnosed with critical head trauma.
The third accident took place in downtown Manhattan at 3:30 am. A 30 year old pedestrian was crossing the street at the intersection of Prince Street and Avenue of the Americas when he was hit by a car. The driver never stopped. The young man was taken to the hospital in critical condition.
Later on the police responded to another accident in Ozone Park, Queens, near 107-42 111th Street. They found a 48 year old pedestrian unconscious on the ground. According to the NYPD, the victim, identified as Besik Shengelia, was standing by the back of his car and was picking up items on the back seat when he was hit by a car whose driver sped away. He was transported to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. The police are still looking for the driver.
The third accident happened around the same time as the second one in Park Slope, Brooklyn. A 41 year old bicyclist was hit by a driver who sped away and left the victim lying unconscious in the street. The man was riding his bike on Ninth Street and was crossing Fifth Avenue when the accident happened. The NYPD said that the car driver ran the red light and struck the bicyclist. The NYPD are still looking for the driver. They have released a video showing the car speeding away from the scene of the accident. The car is a late model 4 door Nissan Altima light brown or tan, The passenger side is damaged. The side mirror is missing. The bumper is broken and the passenger side headlights and fog lights are not functioning.
Since the beginning of the year, at least 19 pedestrians and 3 bicyclists have been killed in traffic accidents in New York City.
Read more in the NY Times