Police charged USPS driver after fatal Hell's Kitchen hit-and-run.
Everybody Knows Chet
Police say USPS driver James Simmons struck musician Chester "Chet" Mazur, 66, as Mazur crossed Ninth Avenue near West 55th Street in Hell's Kitchen early Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026, and left the scene.
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.
Location under review.
What We Know
Police said James Simmons, 61, was driving a USPS box truck south on Ninth Avenue when he struck Chester "Chet" Mazur, 66, as Mazur crossed near West 55th Street around 5:30 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026. Simmons continued without stopping and was charged with leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death. Mazur, a vocalist with The Rasslers, was returning from a performance; friends remembered his energy and deep ties to New York's music community.
The driver left without stopping
Police said James Simmons was driving south on Ninth Avenue at about 5:30 a.m. when he struck Mazur as he crossed near West 55th Street, then continued downtown without stopping. The Daily News and ABC7 described a mid-block crossing; CBS News reported that Mazur was in the crosswalk.
ABC7 reported that EMS took Mazur to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The Daily News identified the hospital as NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell and reported that he could not be saved.
The collision happened close to Mazur's home
ABC7 placed the collision on Ninth Avenue between West 54th and West 55th streets in Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan; the Daily News located it near West 55th Street. The Daily News reported that Mazur was on the block where he lived, while another Daily News account placed him half a block from home.
The vehicle was a postal box truck
ABC7 and the Daily News described the vehicle as a USPS box truck. The Daily News reported that it was a white 2019 Peterbilt box truck and said Simmons was driving it south on Ninth Avenue.
A familiar presence in New York's music scene
Mazur, 66, sang with The Rasslers and performed at Otto's Shrunken Head in the East Village the night before the crash. The Daily News reported that he was on his way home from the show. He grew up in Buffalo and moved to New York City in 1979 to attend Columbia University, his family told the paper.
His niece Mary Mazur called him "the cool uncle from New York City." Longtime friend Michael Jung told CBS News, "Everybody knows Chet and everybody loves Chet."
Simmons was charged after the hit-and-run
Police arrested Simmons, 61, and charged him with leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death, according to ABC7 and the Daily News. The Daily News reported that a postal inspector tracked the white Peterbilt truck and authorities linked it to the collision. Simmons was released without bail after his arraignment, the paper reported. USPS said it was cooperating fully with law enforcement.