On Saturday morning around 7:30 am, a stolen blue sedan crashed into a safety island at the intersection of Bowery Street and Kenmare Street in Manhattan’s Chinatown. The collision resulted in the tragic deaths of 63-year-old Chinese woman Mary Kwok and 55-year-old cyclist Kevin Cruickshank. The vehicle then hit an unmanned NYPD car, causing significant damage to its front end.
The incident took place near a safety island under the Manhattan Bridge. Yesterday, someone placed white and red floral wreaths on the safety island to mourn the victims. Next to it stood a tree that was broken by the impact, with only the bare trunk remaining. Across the street in front of the TD Bank, a severely damaged white sedan was parked, and whether it is related to the accident remains unknown as the police’s yellow caution tape has not been removed.
According to police investigation, the vehicle involved was a blue Chevrolet Malibu that was a rental car. It should have been returned 17 days prior but was reported stolen. Inside the car, a large amount of alcohol, pills, and marijuana were found.
Authorities identified the driver as 23-year-old woman Autumn Donna Ascencio Romero, with another 22-year-old woman, Kennedy LaCraft, in the car. Following the accident, both individuals initially fled the scene but were eventually arrested a block away.
LaCraft has been charged with illegal weapon possession, possession of stolen property, and unauthorized use of a vehicle, while Romero’s charges are still pending.
What is even more shocking is that three months ago, Romero was also involved in a hit-and-run incident in the Kensington area of Brooklyn. In the early hours of the morning, she was driving a white Nissan without a license and hit a 22-year-old pedestrian, causing serious injuries to her clavicle, nose, and shoulder before fleeing the scene. With the help of witnesses, she was apprehended and faced charges of “hit-and-run causing injury” and “aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.” Due to New York State’s bail reform policy, she was not detained and is currently out on bail awaiting trial, scheduled for August 5.
The ramp below the Manhattan Bridge has always been a high-risk area, with vehicles descending from the bridge often speeding. Surveillance footage obtained by the New York Post shows a car speeding down the ramp on Saturday morning and colliding with Mary Kwok sitting on a bench from behind, sending her flying. Simultaneously, Cruickshank was riding his bike past and was also hit, thrown towards the storefront. Both individuals were pronounced dead at the scene.
Peter Kwok, Mary’s brother, told the New York Post that his sister had battled mental illness for years and enjoyed going out in the early morning. “She would often go there to sit, as well as visit the nearby church. Sometimes she would leave home in the early hours. I actually worried that something like this might happen… in the city, anything could happen.”
Currently, police have not disclosed any further charges against Romero. The case is still under further investigation.