A busy Wakefield intersection turned deadly Monday afternoon when an elderly woman was struck and killed in a hit-and-run involving a motorcycle, police said. The crash unfolded just before 2:30 p.m. at East 225th Street and White Plains Road, where authorities say the rider took off instead of sticking around.
Emergency crews rushed the victim to Jacobi Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead. Police have not yet released her name.
According to News 12 New York, officers said the woman was crossing in a marked crosswalk when the motorcycle hit her. The rider then fled eastbound on East 225th Street, and the NYPD is actively investigating.
Where It Happened
White Plains Road is a major north-south artery in the eastern Bronx and has been a key focus of the city’s Vision Zero safety push in recent years. The Department of Transportation has added protected lanes and other treatments along stretches of the corridor and has proposed further intersection upgrades to slow turning vehicles and shorten pedestrian crossings, according to the NYC DOT.
Legal Consequences
Leaving the scene of a deadly crash is not just heartless, it is a serious crime under New York law. Vehicle and Traffic Law §600 says that failing to report a crash that results in death “shall constitute a class D felony,” a charge that can bring prison time and fines, per the New York State Senate.
What’s Next
As of now, the NYPD has not released the victim’s identity and is continuing to investigate the crash. News 12 New York has described the case as developing.
The tragedy comes on the heels of another fatal hit-and-run near Jacobi in April, a case that highlighted ongoing concerns about deadly collisions on city streets, as reported in Man Killed in Hit-and-Run.
