Posted on November 8, 2015 at 9:25 am by West Sider



The scene of a fatal crash on 109th street and Columbus Avenue. Photo by David Torres.

Two pedestrians, both of them over 80 years old, have been hit by vehicles and killed on the Upper West Side since Friday.

An 86-year-old woman was crossing West End Avenue at 64th street shortly after 5 p.m. on Friday when a driver in a northbound Toyota hit her, according to police and a witness. Witness Bernie Tuchman sent in the following account:

My spouse and I were at a bus stop, waiting for a northbound M57 bus, when we heard the impact. The vehicle immediately stopped. The person, who appeared to be quite small, was lying in front of the vehicle. An NYPD Traffic enforcement car stopped almost immediately. I called 911 to report the incident. Other people, including the motorist, came close to the victim. Our bus arrived, and all those who had been waiting got onboard (I continued my conversation with 911 while we were riding to our destination at W 70 St. and West End.) I got a call at about 12:30am from an NYPD officer from the collision investigation squad to see if I had any other details to report. I asked him whether the person had survived, and he said “No.” “…It was a shocking event to us — especially because the driver clearly had the right of way and was not speeding. It was dusk, and we’re not sure whether street lights or car lights were on. The person who was killed was not seen by anybody waiting at the stop, and certainly not by the driver.”

An ambulance took her to St. Luke’s Hospital where she was pronounced dead. The woman’s name was not released because her family has not been notified, an NYPD spokesperson said on Sunday morning. No arrests were made and the investigation is ongoing.

On Sunday morning at 12:42 a.m., police were called to 109th street and Columbus Avenue, where 88-year-old Luisa Rosario had been hit by a taxi cab and was lying on the pavement. Police determined that Rosario was crossing 109th street from North to South and had the green signal when the driver turned onto 109th street from Columbus and slammed into her. Rosario was taken to St. Luke’s where she was pronounced dead. She lived on 110th street.

The driver, 73-year-old Bronx resident Salifu Abubkar, was arrested and charged with failure to yield, according to NYPD. “The driver at the scene said to police he was driving since 9 a.m. Saturday,” the Daily News reported.



The cab driver and a police officer at the scene. Photos by David Torres.

Note: We have updated the story to note that the vehicle in the second incident was a taxi cab.