81-Year-Old In Critical Condition After Being Struck By SUV In Brooklyn, Driver Not Charged
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – An 81-year-old woman has been hit by a car and badly injured while trying to do something nice for the holidays.
Police say an SUV hit the woman as she was crossing a street in Brooklyn.
Her name has not been released but neighbors tell CBS2 she was just trying to spread holiday cheer.
"All these tough guys out here have tears in their eyes today," Howie Rubenfeld said.
The workers at a Brooklyn scrap yard are worried about the 81-year-old who lives down the block on East 95th Street.
"She walked up the block to wish everybody a happy holidays."
Police say the woman was walking home from the scrap yard, crossing Ditmas Avenue around 2:30 p.m. Monday afternoon, when she was hit by an SUV driving in reverse.
"People don't slow down it's so dangerous trying to cross that street," neighbor Susan Neverson said.
Police sources tell CBS2 the 56-year-old driver stayed at the scene and was questioned by investigators. The victim was rushed to a nearby hospital in critical condition.
"She's kind she's always talking to people even if she doesn't know them," Neverson said.
The victim, who neighbors say stands no taller than five feet tall, has lived on that block for decades.
"We see her out in front of her house all the time with a bucket of water and scrub brush, she's from the old school where she comes out and scrubs her own steps every day," Rubenfeld said.
The NYPD says despite "Vision Zero," there have been 117 pedestrian deaths this year – up from 115 last year. Just last week across the city, four people were hit and killed by vehicles in less than 24 hours.
MORE: Mayor To Ramp Up Vision Zero Crackdown After 4 Pedestrians Killed In 24 Hours
The NYPD says it's amped up enforcement on the road in response, conducting more inspections and issuing more violations since last week.
City officials were hoping the added speed cameras and bikes lanes around the boroughs this year would work toward safer streets.
"We are ready to go back in January and add more resources, zero tolerance for drivers that they don't respect pedestrians, let's get Albany to work with us to reduce speed limit when drivers make a turn," city councilman Ydanis Rodriguez said.
Back in Brooklyn, police are still investigating and say the driver has not been charged with any crimes for the accident.
