Driver Turning in Harlem Kills 3-Year-Old in Crosswalk
A driver making a left turn at Lenox Avenue and West 135th Street hit a family in the crosswalk, killing 3-year-old Jaynelyse Valdez and injuring three other pedestrians, according to police and the city crash record.
What We Know
Jaynelyse Valdez, 3, was crossing West 135th Street at Lenox Avenue with her mother and siblings on the evening of July 11, 2024, when a 40-year-old man driving a 2020 Nissan Pathfinder hit the family, police told Gothamist. The city crash record lists the fatal pedestrian as a 3-year-old girl crossing with the signal at an intersection, with three other pedestrians injured. Police said the family had the walk signal and the right of way; they also said the driver had a green light for a left turn. The official vehicle record also describes an SUV making a left turn, though it lists the travel direction differently than the press account.
A family was crossing with the walk signal
Police told Gothamist that Jaynelyse Valdez was in the crosswalk at West 135th Street and Malcolm X Boulevard with her 37-year-old mother and two young siblings when a 40-year-old man driving a 2020 Nissan Pathfinder hit them. The city crash record places the crash at Lenox Avenue and West 135th Street and lists the fatal pedestrian as a 3-year-old girl crossing with the signal at an intersection.
Jaynelyse Valdez died; her relatives were hurt
Police said the driver took Jaynelyse to Harlem Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Gothamist reported that her 2-year-old brother, 4-month-old brother and mother were also taken to Harlem Hospital, with the children suffering minor injuries and the mother not seriously hurt. The city record lists three pedestrians injured and one pedestrian killed.
Lenox Avenue has a long crash record
The crash happened at Lenox Avenue and West 135th Street in Manhattan. CrashCountNYC's location context for Lenox Avenue in Manhattan counts 943 crashes, 523 injuries, 39 serious injuries and 3 deaths from Jan. 1, 2022, through June 1, 2026.
Police reported no immediate arrest
Gothamist reported that police had not made any immediate arrests after the crash.