Two women were killed and seven other people were injured when an 81-year-old driver allegedly ran a red light, struck four pedestrians and triggered a violent chain-reaction crash on a busy New York City street.
The deadly collision unfolded around 2:15 p.m. Friday, October 9, at the intersection of Allerton Avenue and Holland Avenue in the Bronx, leaving witnesses horrified and a neighborhood mourning two familiar faces.
Police identified the women who died as Angel Johnson, 39, and Robin Kennedy, 57, both Bronx residents.
According to the NYPD, the elderly man was driving a white Mercedes-Benz C300 along Allerton Avenue when he struck pedestrians in a crosswalk. Investigators said the vehicle continued through a red light, hitting additional pedestrians before crashing into several cars and setting off a chain reaction.
Surveillance footage captured the Mercedes speeding through the intersection as pedestrians and nearby motorists had little time to react.
Emergency crews rushed to the scene, where officers discovered several victims suffering from severe injuries. Nine people were transported to Jacobi Medical Center, including Johnson and Kennedy, who were pronounced dead.
An 84-year-old woman who was also struck remained in critical condition Saturday after undergoing surgery. Another pedestrian, a 60-year-old woman, was hospitalized in stable condition.
The Mercedes driver and his 84-year-old female passenger were also injured but were expected to recover. Three other motorists, ages 55, 61 and 71, were listed in stable condition.
Investigators are examining what caused the driver to lose control. News 12 reported that police initially believed the man may have experienced a medical episode before the collision. However, authorities have not publicly established that as the cause.
Witnesses described a terrifying scene as vehicles collided, pedestrians were struck and bystanders rushed to help.
“I saw multiple people get hit by a car, and it was horrific,” one witness told CBS New York.
The force of the crash also shattered windows at nearby businesses, sending employees and customers scrambling.
“Everybody was screaming,” a longtime worker told ABC7, adding that he had never witnessed anything comparable during his 35 years in the neighborhood.
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The tragedy has been particularly devastating for residents who knew the victims.
Abdul Titumir, who has worked at a store near the intersection for more than three decades, remembered Johnson as a friendly woman who regularly stopped to greet neighborhood workers.
“She’d always walk around the neighborhood, say hello to everybody all the time. So friendly,” he told ABC7.
CBS New York also reported that three of the women struck were relatives who were frequently seen walking together. A neighbor described the family as inseparable.
The crash has raised troubling questions about how an ordinary Friday afternoon turned deadly in seconds.
Investigators are reviewing the circumstances surrounding the collision, including the driver’s actions before the Mercedes entered the intersection. Authorities have not announced whether a medical condition, excessive speed or another factor contributed to the crash.
As of Sunday, October 11, no arrests or criminal charges had been publicly announced.
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