NYPD officer fatally strikes pedestrian on Eastern Parkway.
At 8:07 p.m. on April 7, 2022, NYPD officer Orkhan Mamedov struck pedestrian Ronald Anthony Smith, 53, on Eastern Parkway near Schenectady Avenue while transporting four prisoners.
Location reported in Open Data.
What We Know
Smith was standing on the center median when Mamedov, driving an NYPD vehicle west on Eastern Parkway, struck him. A witness said the driver was trying to make a changing light; the state investigation later found Mamedov had been speeding but concluded prosecutors could not prove a crime beyond a reasonable doubt.
The crash and the immediate aftermath.
The official crash record places the fatal pedestrian collision on Eastern Parkway at 8:07 p.m. on April 7, 2022. News reports identified the pedestrian as Ronald Anthony Smith, 53, and said an NYPD officer driving west struck him.
Witness Dequan Bass told the Daily News that the driver was trying to make a changing light and that Smith was dragged about 35 feet after impact. Bass also said an officer tried to resuscitate him.
The New York Post and ABC7 reported that Smith was pronounced dead at Kings County Hospital. The Daily News quoted Bass describing the resuscitation attempt and saying, "He was gone."
Eastern Parkway near Schenectady Avenue.
Reports place the crash near Schenectady Avenue in Crown Heights. Police accounts and a witness said Smith was standing on the painted center median when he was struck.
Smith's family and community.
Daily News witness Dequan Bass said Smith was a familiar presence on the median, asking passing drivers for money to eat. Early reports described Smith as believed to be homeless, but Streetsblog later reported that J. Floyd identified herself as his sister and said, "He has family, and he is loved."
Reports describe different vehicle types.
News accounts described a marked NYPD van carrying two officers and four prisoners. The official crash record instead classifies the vehicle as a station wagon or sport utility vehicle, lists it as a 2016 Chevrolet and records six occupants; the sources do not resolve the difference.
Witness accounts and the investigation.
The crash record lists driver inattention or distraction as a contributing factor. Bass said the driver was trying to make a changing light. The Daily News later reported that the attorney general's investigation found Mamedov reached 45.7 mph on a street with a 25 mph speed limit; some prisoners interviewed for the investigation alleged reckless driving, swerving and running red lights.
Investigations and legal developments.
In April 2022, the Daily News reported that the driver had been placed on modified duty while the attorney general and NYPD investigated. In May 2023, the Daily News reported that the attorney general's Office of Special Investigation had reviewed video and interviewed witnesses, and concluded that prosecutors could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the officer committed a crime.
In June 2022, Patch reported that lawyers for Smith's estate sought video, access to the NYPD vehicle and crash records as they prepared a negligence lawsuit against the city. The report described a planned lawsuit and said the lawyers were concerned evidence could be lost.