Scooter rider fled after fatal Bath Beach crash, police say

Police attributed the red-light violation to the rider.

News 12 reported that police said Chen was in the crosswalk when a person on an electric scooter ran a red light and hit her. A later News 12 report said the rider fled; the Brooklyn Home Reporter also described the crash as a hit-and-run.

The official record places the crash at 18th Avenue and 86th Street at 2:09 a.m. on Aug. 6, 2025, and records one pedestrian death. The Brooklyn Home Reporter, citing police, placed the crash at 2:10 a.m. and said the scooter was traveling east.

A nearby worker remembered Chen as kind.

The Brooklyn Home Reporter described Chen as a 76-year-old Bensonhurst woman. A nearby store employee told World Journal that he remembered her as kind and often saw her collecting bottles and cans in the neighborhood. He sometimes helped her open bags to retrieve them.

The investigation remained open as of the latest report.

News 12 reported that Chen was taken to a hospital, where she died; the Brooklyn Home Reporter identified it as NYU Langone Hospital - Brooklyn.

A nearby store employee told World Journal that he heard a noise, went outside and saw a man trying to chase the rider. He said police later sought surveillance footage from nearby businesses. The Brooklyn Home Reporter said no arrests had been made and the investigation was ongoing as of its Aug. 14 report.