Police: Fleeing Driver Fatally Hit Bronx Pedestrian
Police said Reynaldo Nazario, fleeing in a stolen Honda CRV, fatally hit 74-year-old Muj Gjocaj at East Mosholu Parkway South and Bainbridge Avenue, where the official record says Gjocaj was crossing with the signal and two motorists were injured.
What We Know
On the morning of June 29, 2023, a crash at East Mosholu Parkway South and Bainbridge Avenue left a 74-year-old pedestrian dead and two motorists injured. The official record says the pedestrian was crossing with the signal. The Daily News, citing police, identified him as Muj Gjocaj and reported that Reynaldo Nazario, 46, was trying to get away from police in a stolen Honda CRV when he hit Gjocaj. The article said the Toyota driver and Nazario collided before Nazario hit the pedestrian, and that the Toyota driver and an 87-year-old passenger were taken to St. Barnabas Hospital with serious injuries. Police charged Nazario with possession of stolen property, car theft and unauthorized use of a vehicle.
Police described a stolen-car escape before the fatal impact
The official crash record places the collision at 9:32 a.m. on June 29, 2023, at East Mosholu Parkway South and Bainbridge Avenue. It records one pedestrian killed and two motorists injured, and says the pedestrian was crossing with the signal at the intersection.
The Daily News, citing police, identified the pedestrian as 74-year-old Muj Gjocaj and said he was critically injured before dying at St. Barnabas Hospital. The article reported that police identified Reynaldo Nazario, 46, as the driver in a stolen Honda CRV and said Nazario was trying to get away from police when he hit Gjocaj.
Accounts differ on direction details
The official vehicle records list the sedan driver traveling east and the Honda SUV driver traveling south. The Daily News reported that the Toyota driver was heading south on the parkway when the Toyota driver and Nazario collided.
Bainbridge Avenue has seen repeated serious harm
The crash was recorded at East Mosholu Parkway South and Bainbridge Avenue in the Bronx, along the Bainbridge Avenue corridor.
CrashCountNYC's Bainbridge Avenue corridor review recorded 424 crashes, 222 injuries, 17 serious injuries and 4 deaths since 2022.
Gjocaj died; two women were seriously injured
The Daily News identified the victim as Muj Gjocaj and reported that he clung to life in critical condition for a day before dying at St. Barnabas Hospital.
The article said the Toyota Corolla driver, a 66-year-old woman, and her 87-year-old passenger were taken to St. Barnabas Hospital with serious injuries. The official record also counts two injured motorists.
The records identify three involved vehicles
The official record lists a 2006 Toyota sedan with two occupants, a 2000 Honda SUV with one occupant, and a parked 2023 Nissan SUV with no occupants. The Daily News described the Toyota as a Corolla and the Honda as a stolen Honda CRV.
The official vehicle entry for the Honda SUV lists unsafe speed and traffic control disregarded. The overall crash record lists aggressive driving or road rage as a contributing factor.
Police arrested Nazario on stolen-vehicle charges
The Daily News reported that police took Nazario into custody and charged him with possession of stolen property, car theft and unauthorized use of a vehicle. The article also reported that police said he had 58 prior arrests and had been paroled in May after serving time for car theft.