Prosecutors indict driver after fatal wrong-way crash on Henry Hudson Parkway.
Prosecutors allege Robert Koch drove north in the southbound lanes and hit an Uber carrying Ada Rivero on the Henry Hudson Parkway on May 3, 2026; the official record lists one person killed and two injured in the 3:45 a.m. crash.
Location reported in Open Data.
What We Know
Prosecutors allege Koch entered the southbound lanes while driving north and hit the Uber near West 72nd Street. Police reported that Rivero, 65, was taken to Bellevue; prosecutors later said she was pronounced dead at 6:36 a.m. Koch was indicted on homicide, assault and driving-while-intoxicated charges, and is presumed innocent.
Prosecutors allege a wrong-way drive.
According to prosecutors, Koch, 26, left an event in Times Square, walked to his car on West 51st Street and entered the southbound lanes at West 57th Street while driving north. They allege he avoided several vehicles before hitting an Uber head-on near West 72nd Street.
Prosecutors said FDNY crews freed Rivero and her driver from the Uber, while an eyewitness pulled Koch from his vehicle. All three were taken to hospitals.
Reports place the crash at different cross streets.
The official record places the crash on the Henry Hudson Parkway at 3:45 a.m. on May 3. Police accounts put it around 3:40 a.m., with the Daily News placing it near West 79th Street and Patch near West 70th Street. Prosecutors' account places the collision near West 72nd Street.
A passenger died, and both drivers were injured.
Police identified Ada Rivero, 65, as a rear passenger in the Toyota Highlander. The Daily News described her as a Midtown resident, while Patch reported she was of West 57th Street. Police reports said she was taken to Bellevue; prosecutors later said she was pronounced dead at 6:36 a.m. from injuries sustained in the crash.
The Daily News reported that Rivero's 49-year-old driver suffered minor injuries and was treated at Mount Sinai Morningside. The same report said Koch, 26, was hospitalized with serious injuries.
Vehicle descriptions differ by source.
The official record classifies the northbound 2024 Subaru as a sedan; Patch's police account identifies it as a white Subaru Crosstrek. The record classifies the southbound 2020 Toyota as a taxi. Police identified a black Toyota Highlander, and prosecutors described the ride as an Uber.
Koch was later indicted on multiple charges.
Norwood News reported that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced Koch's indictment on July 9. The charges include aggravated vehicular homicide, second-degree manslaughter, two counts of second-degree vehicular manslaughter, third-degree assault, aggravated driving while intoxicated and driving while intoxicated. These are allegations, and Koch is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Early accounts differed on the arrest timing and spelling of Koch's surname. Patch reported that Robert Koch was arrested Sunday evening and charged with two counts of vehicular manslaughter; the Daily News spelled his surname Kock and reported a Tuesday arrest on vehicular manslaughter and manslaughter charges.