Garbage-truck driver hits parked car; woman dies under shed
A private garbage-truck driver hit a parked Kia near First Avenue and East 101st Street at about 6:27 a.m. on December 23, 2025, triggering a sidewalk shed collapse that killed 75-year-old Li Ying Liang.
Location reported in Open Data.
What We Know
On December 23, 2025, a private garbage-truck driver heading north on First Avenue hit an unattended Kia near East 101st Street, police said. The impact pushed the Kia onto the sidewalk and into a shed outside 345 East 101st St. The shed collapsed on Li Ying Liang, 75, who died at the scene. The city crash record counts five injured motorists and lists unsafe speed for the garbage truck and unsafe lane changing for a sedan. A company spokesperson said the truck driver appeared to be under the speed limit. Neighbors remembered Liang for watering plants outside her building.
Reported vehicle makes
- Kia — accepted press report
- BMW — accepted press report
Make information is incomplete for the vehicles involved in this crash.
A collision brought down the sidewalk shed
Police said the garbage-truck driver hit an unoccupied, parked Kia Forte while heading north on First Avenue. The impact pushed the Kia onto the sidewalk and into a shed, which collapsed on Li Ying Liang. Emergency responders pronounced her dead at the scene.
Outside an East Harlem apartment building
The crash occurred near First Avenue and East 101st Street. The shed stood outside 345 East 101st St., an eight-story NYCHA residential building. Liang was beneath it when it fell; ABC7 reported that she lived in the building.
Neighbors remember Liang
Liang was 75. Neighbors said she watered plants outside her building and collected cans and bottles. Jose, a nearby shop worker, recalled: “She would come out with her walker and a bucket of water to water the plants.”
What the records say about the drivers
The city crash record lists unsafe speed for the garbage truck and unsafe lane changing for a northbound sedan. It also records several parked cars and SUVs. A spokesperson for the truck's company, Classic Recycling, told the New York Post that the driver appeared to be under the speed limit.
Injuries and investigation
The city crash record counts five injured motorists in addition to Liang's death. ABC7 reported that the 47-year-old garbage-truck driver and his 50-year-old passenger went to a hospital in stable condition and that three others had minor injuries. Gothamist reported only one additional injured person.
Building inspectors found about 80 feet of damaged scaffolding but no damage to the building, Gothamist reported. Police were investigating the crash, and reports published that day said no charges had been filed.