A 28-year-old Chinese nurse in New York City was fatally struck by a vehicle Saturday morning at Sunset Park in Brooklyn. Tragically, she had just finished her night shift at NYU Langone Brooklyn Hospital, walked only one block away, and was hit by a black Cadillac Escalade while crossing the street. The driver fled the scene and has yet to be apprehended.
The incident occurred around 7:30 a.m. at the intersection of Third Avenue and 55th Street. The victim, Jiayi Zheng, was wearing a green hospital uniform and carrying a white backpack as she waited at the intersection for the traffic light to turn green before crossing the zebra crossing.
Surveillance footage revealed that as she reached the middle of the road, preparing to cross the median strip under the Gowanus Expressway, she was struck by a speeding Cadillac. The vehicle briefly stopped after the collision but then continued southbound, fleeing the scene.
Paramedics rushed Zheng to NYU Langone Brooklyn Hospital where she had been working, but she succumbed to severe head and body injuries. Authorities noted that her residence was approximately a mile away from the hospital.
In a statement, the hospital expressed deep sorrow over the nurse’s passing and extended condolences to her family, friends, and colleagues. “Our nurses play a crucial role in the medical community with compassion and dedication in caring for patients. Her death has left our entire community in mourning.”
The Highway Patrol Unit of the police is currently investigating this fatal hit-and-run case, with the driver still at large.
New York State Senator Andrew Gounardes posted on Facebook on Saturday afternoon, stating that the vehicle involved in the incident allegedly ran a red light at high speed, struck the nurse, and then fled. He urged cooperation between the transportation department and the community to enhance the safety conditions on Third Avenue: “Just over a year ago, we lost two elderly neighbors who also perished in similar traffic accidents. Third Avenue remains one of the most dangerous sections in Brooklyn.”
Local businesses stated that some drivers in the area often disregard traffic lights and road signs. An employee at a deli mentioned that vehicles sometimes speed through intersections, even violating no-turn signs. She believed that more surveillance equipment is needed in the area to improve road safety.
Transportation Alternatives released a statement on their website on Sunday, highlighting that Zheng is the 11th pedestrian or cyclist to die in traffic accidents on a two-mile stretch of Third Avenue under the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway since 2014. The long-standing traffic safety issues in this area have been well-documented. In 2020, another nurse from NYU Langone Brooklyn was fatally struck by a car at the intersection of Third Avenue and 56th Street while riding her bicycle home after a night shift.
The New York City Department of Transportation proposed redesigning the Third Avenue stretch back in 2023, but the plan has yet to be implemented. Ben Furnas, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives, urged the city to expedite the redesign of Third Avenue, stating, “Accelerating the redesign of Third Avenue requires viable solutions from City Hall to prevent similar tragedies citywide.”