Driver Hits Family in Harlem Crosswalk, Killing 3-Year-Old Girl
A 40-year-old driver turning in a 2020 Nissan Pathfinder hit Jaynelyse Valdez and her family in a Harlem crosswalk, police said, killing the 3-year-old and injuring three pedestrians.
What We Know
Jaynelyse Valdez, 3, was crossing West 135th Street at Lenox Avenue with her mother and young siblings on the evening of July 11, 2024, when police said a 40-year-old driver in a 2020 Nissan Pathfinder made a left turn and hit them in the crosswalk. The official crash record says the child was crossing with the signal at the intersection. Police told Gothamist that the family had a walk signal and the right of way, while the driver had a green light to turn. Jaynelyse was taken to Harlem Hospital and pronounced dead. Her mother and two young brothers were also taken to the hospital with injuries that police described as minor or not serious. Police said no immediate arrests were made.
Police said the family had the walk signal
The official record places the crash at about 7:40 p.m. on July 11, 2024, at Lenox Avenue and West 135th Street in Manhattan. It records one pedestrian killed and three pedestrians injured.
A 3-year-old girl died, and three family members were hurt
Police identified the child as Jaynelyse Valdez. She was unconscious and unresponsive at the scene and was taken to Harlem Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Gothamist reported that Jaynelyse's 2-year-old brother, 4-month-old brother and mother were also taken to Harlem Hospital. Police described the brothers' injuries as minor and said the mother was not seriously hurt.
The crash happened on a Lenox Avenue corridor with repeated harm
The crash location was Lenox Avenue and West 135th Street in Harlem. CrashCountNYC's location context identifies the broader Lenox Avenue corridor in Manhattan as a place where, since 2022, there have been 943 crashes, 523 injuries, 39 serious injuries and 3 deaths.
The driver was making a left turn
The official vehicle record lists one SUV, a 2020 Nissan, with one licensed male driver. The driver was recorded as making a left turn, with center-front damage documented after the crash.
Gothamist, citing police, described the driver as a 40-year-old man driving a 2020 Nissan Pathfinder.
Police reported no immediate arrest
Police told Gothamist that the driver brought Jaynelyse to Harlem Hospital after the crash. They also said no immediate arrests were made.