Driver Charged After Fatal East Village Hit-and-Run
Police said Michael Pruitt was arrested after he fled from a fatal Nov. 27, 2022 crash that city records place at Cooper Square and St. Marks Place, where a northbound driver in a sedan killed a pedestrian.
What We Know
At about 5:48 a.m. on Nov. 27, 2022, a northbound driver in a sedan hit a man at Cooper Square and St. Marks Place, according to the city crash record. News reports described the location as Third Avenue and St. Marks Place and identified the victim as Lucas Jimenez Aburto, a man leaving work at a nearby cafe. Police told reporters the driver was traveling above the speed limit, hit him while he crossed against the signal, and left the scene. The city record lists driver inattention or distraction and unsafe speed for the sedan, and says the driver was unlicensed. In September 2023, police said they arrested Michael Pruitt and charged him with leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death.
Early-morning crash near St. Marks Place
The city crash record says a northbound driver in a sedan was going straight ahead at 5:48 a.m. on Nov. 27, 2022, when the driver hit a pedestrian at Cooper Square and St. Marks Place in Manhattan. The record lists one person killed and no other injuries.
Police told amNewYork that the driver was traveling well above the speed limit and left the scene. The Daily News later reported that police identified the driver as Michael Pruitt, who they said sped away after hitting Lucas Jimenez Aburto around 5:50 a.m.
The pedestrian was identified in press reports
The city record describes the person killed as a male pedestrian; it lists his age as 53. News reports identified him as Lucas Jimenez Aburto and gave his age as 55.
The Daily News reported that Jimenez Aburto was leaving a shift at Ray's Pizza & Bagel Cafe, and described him as a Mexican immigrant and father of 12 children.
Speed, distraction and crossing signal appear in the record
The city record lists driver inattention or distraction and unsafe speed as contributing factors for the sedan. It also says the driver was unlicensed.
The pedestrian entry in the city record says the man was at an intersection and crossing against the signal. Both news reports also said police described him as crossing against the signal or against the light when the driver hit him.
Records and reports use different street names for the same area
The city crash record places the crash at Cooper Square and St. Marks Place in the 10003 ZIP code. The two news reports described the location as Third Avenue and St. Marks Place in the East Village.
amNewYork noted that south of 24th Street, Third Avenue is a two-way thoroughfare through the East Village, while above that point it carries five northbound travel lanes.
Police later announced an arrest
The Daily News reported that police arrested Michael Pruitt, 37, of Canarsie, on Sept. 24, 2023. Police said he was charged with leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death, and that his arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court was pending that night.