Driver Charged After Woman Killed Crossing Bath Avenue
A 66-year-old woman crossing with the signal at Bath Avenue and 25th Avenue was killed on Sept. 12, 2023, after police said Faheem Shabazz turned left in a Ram pickup and hit her as she pushed a stroller.
What We Know
Xia Ying Chen, 66, was crossing Bath Avenue at 25th Avenue on Sept. 12, 2023, with the signal, according to the official crash record. Police told reporters that Faheem Shabazz, 56, was driving south on 25th Avenue in a Ram pickup and turned left onto Bath Avenue, where he hit Chen as she pushed a 2-year-old grandchild in a stroller. Chen was taken to NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn and pronounced dead. Reports differed on the child’s injuries: Brooklyn Paper said the child was taken to Maimonides Medical Center with no injuries, while the Daily News quoted a witness who described a cut to the child’s forehead. Shabazz remained at the scene and was charged with failure to yield.
A left turn at the crosswalk
The official crash record says a 66-year-old woman was crossing with the signal at the intersection of Bath Avenue and 25th Avenue when a southbound driver was making a left turn. Police told reporters that Faheem Shabazz turned left from 25th Avenue onto Bath Avenue in a Ram pickup and hit Xia Ying Chen as she pushed a 2-year-old grandchild in a stroller.
Chen was taken to NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn and pronounced dead. The official record lists one pedestrian killed and one pedestrian injured.
Bath Avenue has seen repeated harm
The crash happened at Bath Avenue and 25th Avenue in Brooklyn. CrashCountNYC’s street context for Bath Avenue shows 260 crashes, 140 injuries, 6 serious injuries and 2 deaths since 2022.
Xia Ying Chen and her grandchild were in the crosswalk
Police identified the woman who died as Xia Ying Chen. Brooklyn Paper reported that she was pushing her 2-year-old grandchild in a stroller; the Daily News described the child as her granddaughter.
Accounts differed on the child’s injuries. Brooklyn Paper reported that the child was taken to Maimonides Medical Center with no injuries, while the Daily News quoted a witness who said the child had a cut to her forehead and was expected to recover.
Failure to yield was central to the record and the charge
The official crash record lists driver inattention or distraction and failure to yield as contributing factors for the driver. Police identified the driver as 56-year-old Faheem Shabazz.
The death drew calls for accountability
Brooklyn Paper reported that records compiled by How’s My Driving showed nine traffic violations tied to the pickup since December 2022, including three school-zone speeding tickets in 2023.
State Sen. Andrew Gounardes told Brooklyn Paper the death showed the need for stronger consequences for repeat traffic offenders. State Sen. Iwen Chu called on the city Department of Transportation to study the area for safety improvements.