A wrong-way driver leaves after a fatal Bronx crash.
December
Police said a wrong-way driver struck Ismael Rodriguez near East Tremont Avenue and left; the September 21, 2026, date is inferred from same-day reports placing it shortly before 6 a.m. Monday, and the Daily News said Rodriguez was heading to work.
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 a wrong-way driver fatally struck Ismael Rodriguez near East Tremont Avenue and left the scene. News reports place the crash around 5:55 a.m. or shortly before 6. The September 21, 2026, date is inferred from same-day coverage describing it as early Monday. Reports differ on whether the cross street was Park Avenue or Morris Park Avenue. ABC7 said police sought a white Lamborghini believed involved; the Daily News later reported that NYPD had no confirmed vehicle description. Rodriguez worked as a doorman for 30 years and was looking forward to retirement, the Daily News reported.
Police described a wrong-way approach and a hit-and-run.
News12 said police's preliminary investigation showed a white car heading north in Park Avenue's southbound lane as it approached East Tremont Avenue; police said the driver struck the man and left.
Gothamist and News12 reported that the man was pronounced dead at the scene. The New York Post and Daily News later identified him as Ismael Rodriguez. Reports place the time around 5:55 a.m. or shortly before 6; the September 21, 2026, date is inferred from same-day reports describing the crash as early Monday.
Reports place the crash on different cross streets.
Gothamist, ABC7 and News12 placed the crash near Park Avenue and East Tremont Avenue. The September 21 and September 24 Daily News reports placed it near or at Morris Park Avenue and East Tremont Avenue, with the later report specifying West Farms. The reports agree on East Tremont Avenue as the vicinity but do not establish one precise cross street.
Colleagues remembered a doorman they loved.
Reports identify the victim as Ismael Rodriguez. Coverage varies on his age: ABC7, the New York Post and the September 24 Daily News report said 68, while the September 21 Daily News report said 70.
The Daily News reported that Rodriguez was crossing to catch a bus to work. He worked for 30 years as a doorman at Horizon House in Fort Lee, New Jersey, and was planning to retire. A longtime coworker recalled that Rodriguez knew residents and their families by name, enjoyed a song-guessing game with them, and read and wrote about his day. More than 50 people gathered for a memorial in the building lobby, the Daily News reported.
Reports do not settle the striking vehicle's make.
News12 described a white car, while Gothamist described a white vehicle. ABC7 reported that police were searching for a white Lamborghini believed to be involved. The September 24 Daily News said Rodriguez's family had been told it was a white Lamborghini, but NYPD said it had no description of the car.
ABC7 separately reported that witnesses said Rodriguez landed on the windshield of a parked white Hyundai sedan after impact.
Investigators searched for the driver and vehicle.
ABC7 reported that investigators searched the area from the ground and air and recovered a white bumper believed to have come from the suspect vehicle. Gothamist said the NYPD Collision Investigation Squad was investigating, and News12 reported that police were looking for the driver and white car. The September 24 Daily News reported that the driver had not been caught.