Nurse killed in Sunset Park hit-and-run after night shift: officials
Nurse killed in Sunset Park hit-and-run after night shift: officials
A 28-year-old nurse was struck and killed by a fleeing vehicle in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, early Saturday morning while walking home from her night shift, according to state officials.
BROOKLYN, N.Y. - A 28-year-old nurse named Jiayi Zheng was struck and killed by a fleeing vehicle in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, early Saturday morning while walking home from her night shift at NYU Langone Hospital Brooklyn, according to state officials.
What we know:
Zheng was reportedly within the marked crosswalk at 55th Street and 3rd Avenue waiting for her signal to walk when she was struck by a southbound 2014 Cadillac sedan just after 7:30 a.m. Surveillance video captured her last moments standing before the impact threw her into the road.
Police say the driver of the vehicle, who has not yet been identified, fled the scene immediately after the collision. A local clerk noted that drivers in the Sunset Park area are frequently aggressive and make crossing the street nerve-wracking for pedestrians.
First responders rushed to the scene and found Zheng with severe trauma to her head and body after being thrown onto the roadway.
She was transported back to NYU Langone Hospital Brooklyn, where her colleagues and staff pronounced her dead.
What they're saying:
NYU Langone issued a statement acknowledging Zheng's death and extending condolences to her family and colleagues.
"We are deeply saddened by the passing of Jiayi Zheng… [T]his is a tragic loss," the statement read. "Our nurses play an essential role in caring for others with compassion and dedication, and this loss being felt across our entire community."
New York State Sen. Andrew Gounardes, who represents the area, initially confirmed that the 28-year-old victim was a nurse.
"The victim, a nurse coming off the night shift, has passed from her injuries. Please keep her in your prayers," Gounardes wrote in an update on X.
In an earlier post, the senator detailed that the vehicle "was speeding, drove through a red light and did not stop after hitting the victim."
What's next:
No arrests have been made, and the NYPD are continuing their search for the driver of the 2014 Cadillac.
Authorities are urging anyone who may have witnessed the crash or has information about the vehicle or the driver's whereabouts to contact the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline.
The Source: Information from this article was sourced from the NYPD and New York State Sen. Andrew Gounardes' X account.