Driver left scene after fatal pedestrian crash on Fourth Avenue
A 54-year-old southbound driver hit 66-year-old Jose Hernandez after he fell while crossing Fourth Avenue in Sunset Park on October 22, 2022, police said; the official record lists the crash at 6:43 p.m.
Location reported in Open Data.
What We Know
Police said Hernandez fell while crossing Fourth Avenue before a southbound driver hit him and left the scene. Reports described the vehicle differently: the Daily News and CBS called it a Nissan Altima, the Post described a gray vehicle, and the official record lists a 2015 Nissan sedan. Hernandez was pronounced dead at NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn. Friends and neighbors remembered him as a helpful presence in the community, and his son said he was a cancer survivor.
Police said Hernandez fell before the impact.
Police accounts reported by the Daily News, amNewYork and CBS said Hernandez fell while crossing the avenue midblock before a southbound driver hit him and left without stopping. Reports said he was taken to NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn, where he was pronounced dead.
The Daily News and CBS described the vehicle as a Nissan Altima; the Post described an unknown gray vehicle. The official record lists a 2015 Nissan sedan traveling south. It records driver inattention or distraction as a contributing factor.
The official record gives the crash time as 6:43 p.m. on October 22, 2022; press reports placed it around 6:45 p.m.
Reports differ on the exact crossing point.
The official record places the crash on Fourth Avenue. CBS, amNewYork and the Post described the location as between 58th and 59th streets in Sunset Park, while ABC7 placed it at 59th Street. The Daily News said Hernandez lived a few hundred feet away and was heading to Od's Restaurant near the avenue and 59th Street.
Friends and neighbors remembered Hernandez as a helper.
Od's Restaurant owner Yayo Rodriguez told the Daily News he had known Hernandez since 1986 and remembered him as a close friend and customer. A neighbor said Hernandez often cleaned the sidewalk and helped people nearby. His son, Gilberto Hernandez, described his father as a cancer survivor.
El Diario reported a neighbor's account that Hernandez was devoted to his longtime partner and regularly took her to medical appointments.
Police reported identifying the driver, but said charges were not expected.
CBS reported that police had identified the 54-year-old driver and did not expect criminal charges, while the investigation remained ongoing. The Daily News said investigators were examining whether the driver knew he had hit someone. ABC7 reported police were still searching for the driver; amNewYork and CBS reported that police had located and identified him.