Driver arrested after fatal Henry Hudson Parkway hit-run
Police said Luis Acosta hit 23-year-old pedestrian Victor Jose Benitez on the Henry Hudson Parkway after 2:30 p.m. on May 8, 2022, in a crash the official record tied to a southbound sedan.
What We Know
On May 8, 2022, a driver in a southbound sedan fatally injured 23-year-old pedestrian Victor Jose Benitez on the Henry Hudson Parkway. The Daily News reported that police identified the driver as Luis Acosta and said Benitez was crossing the southbound side near W. 153rd Street in Washington Heights when Acosta hit him and left the scene. EMS took Benitez to Harlem Hospital, where he died. Police arrested Acosta about 11 days later and charged him with leaving the scene of an accident when an injury occurred. The official crash record listed driver inattention or distraction and pedestrian error or confusion as contributing factors.
A daylight crossing ended with a fatal injury
The official record places the crash on the Henry Hudson Parkway at 2:31 p.m. on May 8, 2022, and records one pedestrian killed and no other injuries. The sedan was listed as traveling south and going straight ahead before the crash.
The Daily News reported that Victor Jose Benitez, 23, was crossing the southbound side of the parkway near W. 153rd Street in Washington Heights when police said Luis Acosta hit him and left the scene. EMS took Benitez to Harlem Hospital, where he died of his injuries.
The crash was recorded on the Henry Hudson Parkway
The official crash record lists the location as the Henry Hudson Parkway in Manhattan. The Daily News described the site as the southbound side near W. 153rd Street in Washington Heights.
Police identified the pedestrian and the driver
The official record identifies the person killed as a 23-year-old male pedestrian. The Daily News named him as Victor Jose Benitez.
The Daily News reported that police identified the driver as Bronx resident Luis Acosta and arrested him about 11 days after the crash.
Records cited inattention and pedestrian conduct
The official vehicle record listed driver inattention or distraction as a contributing factor and also listed pedestrian error or confusion. The pedestrian record also listed pedestrian error or confusion.
The Daily News reported that police sources believed Benitez was high on drugs when he ran onto the highway.