Driver in Lexus fatally strikes woman on Brooklyn sidewalk
When the Delivery Came
A woman driving a Lexus RX 350 fatally struck Yvette James on a Brooklyn sidewalk near East 92nd Street and Rutland Road, according to police accounts cited by ABC7 and News 12.
Reported by press, not yet linked to NYC police crash records. This may change when new official records become available or when matching details are reviewed.
Reported intersection.
What We Know
A woman driving a Lexus RX 350 went onto the sidewalk near East 92nd Street and Rutland Road and fatally struck Yvette James, according to police accounts cited by local outlets. Reports differ about the turn's direction and whether the driver hit a sign or planter before James; witnesses said she was pinned against a wall. Reports give James's age as 79 or 80. The July 17, 2026, incident date is inferred from the New York Post's same-day report, which says the crash happened Friday. Police were investigating, and reports said no charges had been filed.
Accounts differ on the turn and sequence
ABC7 and CBS reported that police said a woman driving a Lexus RX 350 turned right from Rutland Road onto East 92nd Street and went onto the sidewalk. The Daily News described the turn in the opposite direction, from East 92nd Street onto Rutland Road.
Reports also differ about what happened before James was hit. ABC7 said the driver struck a sign before hitting her; CBS said the driver hit a planter, then James, then a building. News 12 reported that the driver went through a sign before striking James. Witnesses told ABC7 and the Daily News that James was pinned against a wall.
ABC7, CBS and the New York Post reported that James was pronounced dead at the scene.
A corner near James's home
Reports place the crash on the sidewalk near East 92nd Street and Rutland Road in Brooklyn. ABC7, CBS and later News 12 coverage called the neighborhood East Flatbush; News 12's first report called it Brownsville. Friends told ABC7 James was a block from home, and the station reported that her church was across the street from her home.
Remembered for feeding her neighbors
ABC7 and News 12 identified the woman killed as Yvette James. Reports give her age as 79 or 80.
ABC7 reported that James volunteered at her church's food pantry from 1998, distributing food and helping manage the crowd. Akeem Adams, who knew her from church, told News 12, “It's a big loss because she helps everybody around here.”
Police were still investigating
ABC7 attributed reports of speeding to witnesses. News 12 later reported that police said the driver made too wide a right turn. These accounts do not establish a final cause; News 12 said the investigation was ongoing.
No charges reported
News 12 reported that police said the driver remained at the scene; the Daily News reported that she was taken to Brookdale Medical Center for treatment. ABC7 gave the driver's age as 62, while News 12 and the Daily News reported 63.
News 12 said no charges had been filed, and the Daily News reported that the driver was not arrested. Police were still investigating, according to the reports.