70-Year-Old Leonard Mitchell Killed By Hit-And-Run Driver Crossing Street Near His Brooklyn Home
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A 70-year-old man was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver crossing the street Monday near his Brooklyn home.
Police said Leonard Mitchell was crossing Atlantic Avenue near Third Avenue when he was hit by a dark sedan just before 11 p.m.
The driver took off, leaving him lying in the street, police said.
EMS brought Mitchell to Brooklyn Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Authorities say the 70-year-old lived in a community housing building for seniors.
Residents told CBS2's Natalie Doddridge he used a wheelchair or walker to get around. They said they saw him Monday night for a Memorial Day barbecue in front of his building.
"He's a good friend of mine. He's been living here for like maybe 15 something years, I've been living here for like 15 years. Me and him was close ever since he was here," resident George Burns said. "Last night, we was having a Memorial Day barbecue, I went upstairs. And then this morning, I heard he got hit by a car, he's dead."
Police were stopping vehicles in the area Tuesday in what appeared to be some kind of safety check, though it's unclear whether it was related, Duddridge reported.
Anyone with information about Mitchell's death is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). You can also submit a tip via their website or on Twitter, @NYPDTips. All calls are kept confidential.
