Driver Fatally Injures 99-Year-Old Pedestrian in Riverdale
A 53-year-old driver making a left turn in a Mazda SUV hit Bernice Schwartz, 99, as she crossed at West 235 Street and Oxford Avenue, where the official record listed failure to yield.
What We Know
Bernice Schwartz, 99, was crossing at West 235 Street and Oxford Avenue in the Bronx at about 8:30 a.m. on July 27, 2022, when a 53-year-old driver making a left turn in a 2022 Mazda CX9 SUV hit her, the Daily News reported. The official crash record places her in a marked crosswalk with no signal and lists failure to yield right-of-way as a contributing factor. The Daily News reported that police were investigating whether the driver ignored a stop sign, and that no charges had been filed as of its report. Schwartz suffered severe head injuries and died at St. Barnabas Hospital.
A left turn at a Bronx crosswalk
The crash happened at about 8:30 a.m. on July 27, 2022, at West 235 Street and Oxford Avenue. The official record says Schwartz was a pedestrian at the intersection, crossing in a marked crosswalk with no signal, when the driver of a northbound SUV was making a left turn.
The Daily News identified the driver as 53 years old and reported that he was driving a 2022 Mazda CX9 SUV. Schwartz suffered severe head injuries and died at St. Barnabas Hospital.
Near her Riverdale home
The Daily News reported that Schwartz was hit only a block from her Riverdale home while crossing Oxford Street at West 235 Street. A neighbor told the paper that she and Schwartz had often spoken about dangers at the crosswalk.
Bernice Schwartz was remembered as active and full of life
The Daily News described Schwartz as a 99-year-old widow and grandmother whose 100th birthday was approaching. Her daughter-in-law Judy Tydor Schwartz said Schwartz still walked in the neighborhood to visit a grocery store or mail a letter, and recalled her as willing to try new things.
The paper reported that Schwartz had emailed her daughter-in-law shortly before heading out to mail a letter that morning.
Failure to yield was listed; police also examined a stop sign question
The official crash record lists failure to yield right-of-way as a contributing factor for the driver, and the vehicle record also lists glare. The Daily News reported that police were investigating whether the driver ignored a stop sign before the crash, and that no charges had been filed as of July 29, 2022.