Driver charged after fatal Dyker Heights left turn

The turn and a witness account

The official crash record places the collision at 8:09 p.m. on Jan. 16, 2024, at 13th Avenue and Bay Ridge Avenue in Brooklyn, and records one pedestrian killed. Streetsblog, citing police, reported that a 72-year-old driver in a Dodge Ram pickup turned left from southbound 13th Avenue onto eastbound Bay Ridge Avenue at about 8:10 p.m. and struck Chen. Brooklyn Paper later identified the driver as Bruce Zurrow and reported that Chen was crossing Bay Ridge Avenue.

Streetsblog described the vehicle as a Dodge Ram pickup; the official record lists its make as Dodge-truck/bus. A witness told Streetsblog that the driver swerved around a car stopped at a red light before turning into Chen, and characterized the turn as illegal. The official record documents a left turn and lists driver inattention or distraction as a contributing factor, but does not document the witness's additional account.

ABC7 and Brooklyn Paper reported that Chen was taken to Maimonides in critical condition and later died there.

Chen's work and family

The Brooklyn Eagle reported that Chen worked as a seamstress and was her family's sole provider. Her husband, Wei Zhao, remembered her as "a great mother and companion, and a very hard worker."

The Eagle reported that Zhao sought donations for funeral costs, living expenses and the education of his 14-year-old son.

Police later arrested and charged Zurrow

Streetsblog reported that the driver remained at the scene and initially was not arrested or charged. Brooklyn Paper later reported that police arrested Zurrow and charged him with failure to yield to a pedestrian and failure to show care.