A Manhattan man has been arrested in connection with a wrong-way crash that killed a 27-year-old woman in a West Village crosswalk last fall, closing a months-long investigation into a tragedy that rattled the neighborhood.
Police say 62-year-old Gary Levinson was behind the wheel of a van on the morning of Nov. 6 when he turned onto Morton Street against the flow of traffic and struck a woman who was crossing at Seventh Avenue South. The victim, identified by authorities as Valerie Schoeck, was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where she was later pronounced dead. Levinson is now charged with criminally negligent homicide and reckless driving.
Investigators say Levinson made a left turn onto Morton Street, then continued the wrong way on the one-way block before hitting Schoeck in the crosswalk, according to Gothamist. Police say he stayed at the scene and cooperated with detectives. The NYPD arrested him Tuesday, wrapping up the probe into the November collision.
"This was a horrible accident, and our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Ms. Schoeck," Levinson's lawyer Scott Leemon said after the arraignment, as quoted by Gothamist. Leemon said his client was arraigned Tuesday and released on his own recognizance.
Local coverage at the time reported that the collision happened just after 8:30 a.m. on Nov. 6 as Schoeck crossed Morton Street at Seventh Avenue South, and that first responders rushed her to Bellevue Hospital, where she was later pronounced dead, according to NBC New York. People later reported that Schoeck had been planning a wedding next summer. Early reports also said the van was a rented 2020 GMC that police believe had just exited a nearby garage before making the illegal turn.
Calls For Safer Streets
In the days after the crash, neighbors and workers in the area told reporters they had seen drivers pull the wrong way down Morton Street before, describing it as a recurring near-miss waiting for a worst-case outcome. Some residents pointed to what they see as unclear signage at the garage exit feeding onto the block.
Local outlets reported community calls for a Department of Transportation review and potential changes to the street setup after Schoeck's death, including coverage from Streetsblog and ABC7.
What The Charges Mean
Under New York law, criminally negligent homicide, the top charge in this case, is defined as causing a death through criminal negligence and is classified as a class E felony, according to the state penal code (N.Y. Penal Law §125.10). Reckless driving is handled under state vehicle-and-traffic law as a misdemeanor and can bring fines, license points and potential jail time. The exact penalties in any individual case depend on how prosecutors proceed and how the court rules, as outlined in summaries of VTL §1212.
Prosecutors have not publicly released additional details about the investigation or any upcoming court dates. A fundraiser set up in Schoeck's name to benefit Our House grief services has raised more than $63,000, according to the GoFundMe page created in her honor.
