Police charge driver in fatal Webster Avenue hit-and-run
A 45-year-old driver was killed at Webster Avenue and East 168th Street on June 5, 2022, and police later accused Imani Williams of speeding through a red light before hitting Robert Godwin's livery cab and leaving the scene.
What We Know
According to the police report, around 4:26 a.m. on Webster Avenue near East 168th Street, the driver of a northbound Chevy SUV traveled at unsafe speed, hit several parked vehicles, then crashed into a westbound sedan making a left turn. The 45-year-old male SUV driver, who was belted in, sustained fatal head injuries and was pronounced dead. Police recorded unsafe speed as the contributing factor in the crash.
Early-morning crash at Webster and East 168th
The official crash record says the collision happened at 4:26 a.m. on June 5, 2022, at Webster Avenue and East 168th Street. It records one person killed: a 45-year-old male driver.
The record and press accounts do not describe every movement the same way
The city record lists the sedan as making a left turn before the crash, while police accounts reported by the Post and Daily News describe Godwin as driving west on East 168th Street; the 2025 Daily News report says officials determined Godwin had the right of way.
Robert Godwin was working an overnight livery shift
The Daily News identified the driver who died as Robert Godwin, 45, an outgoing livery cab and professional driver who was near the end of his regular overnight shift. The Post and Daily News reported that his Camry had Taxi and Limousine Commission plates.
A witness, David Torres, told the Daily News that people tried to help after the crash, including using buckets of water and trying to break windows to reach Godwin.
Speed and a red light were central to the case
The official crash record lists unsafe speed as a contributing factor. The Daily News reported that police determined Williams was going 77 mph in a 25-mph zone when she hit Godwin's Camry.
The 2025 Daily News report said police accused Williams of blowing a red light; an earlier witness account said Godwin entered the intersection when his light turned green while the Chevrolet driver accelerated as other drivers stopped.
Webster Avenue has seen repeated harm since 2022
The crash happened at Webster Avenue and East 168th Street in the Bronx. CrashCountNYC's Webster Avenue corridor context shows 1,562 crashes, 1,088 injuries, 74 serious injuries and 5 deaths from the start of 2022 through June 1, 2026.
A 2025 arrest followed the fatal hit-and-run investigation
The Daily News reported that collision investigators recovered DNA from the driver's seat and later linked it to Williams. Police sources said the driver left the damaged SUV and fled on foot after the crash.