Two hit-and-run drivers killed pedestrian on Washington Avenue
Police said two drivers hit 61-year-old Omar Stewart near Washington Avenue and Dean Street early July 10, 2022, and both fled; the official record lists one pedestrian killed at 2:14 a.m.
What We Know
Omar Stewart, 61, was fatally injured near Washington Avenue and Dean Street in Prospect Heights just before 2:15 a.m. on July 10, 2022. Police told reporters that a northbound driver hit him first and that a second driver traveling the other way also hit him while he was in the street; both drivers left the scene. The Daily News later reported that police released video and sought help finding the drivers, describing a white Toyota RAV4 and a black four-door SUV. The official crash record lists one pedestrian killed, driver inattention or distraction, and a sedan, while press reports described SUVs.
Police said two drivers left Stewart in the street
Police told the Post that the 61-year-old was crossing Washington Avenue at Dean Street around 2:15 a.m. when a northbound driver hit him, and that a second driver traveling south also hit him as he lay in the street. Both drivers left the scene, police said.
The Daily News reported a different detail about Stewart’s movement, saying police described him as stepping into or trying to enter a cab near Washington Avenue and Dean Street when the first driver hit him.
Omar Stewart was on his way home
The Daily News identified the pedestrian as Omar Stewart, 61, and reported that he was heading home to Bedford-Stuyvesant from a block party. His fiancée, Kecia Edey, told the paper she had spoken with him on FaceTime moments before the crash.
The Daily News reported that Stewart was a father of three and worked as a tour bus driver. Medics took him to New York-Presbyterian Hospital Brooklyn Methodist with a massive head injury, but he died there.
Reports differed on the vehicles involved
The official crash record lists a sedan and driver inattention or distraction. The Daily News, citing police video released later, described the first driver as being in a white Toyota RAV4 with after-market rims and no visible plate, and the second driver as being in a black four-door SUV. The Post initially reported that police had no description of either vehicle.
Washington Avenue has seen hundreds of crashes since 2022
The crash happened at Washington Avenue and Dean Street in Prospect Heights. Along Washington Avenue in Brooklyn, CrashCountNYC’s location context shows 708 crashes, 454 injuries, 34 serious injuries and 2 deaths from 2022 through June 1, 2026.
Police sought the public’s help
On Aug. 9, 2022, the Daily News reported that the NYPD released surveillance footage and asked the public for help identifying and tracking down the two drivers. The report said it was not clear whether the second driver knew someone had been hit.