Police Say Driver Fleeing in Stolen Honda Hit Bronx Pedestrian
Police said Reynaldo Nazario hit 74-year-old Muj Gjocaj while fleeing officers in a stolen Honda on June 29, 2023, as the official record places Gjocaj crossing with the signal at East Mosholu Parkway South and Bainbridge Avenue.
What We Know
The city crash record says a 74-year-old male pedestrian was crossing with the signal at East Mosholu Parkway South and Bainbridge Avenue at 9:32 a.m. when a crash involving a sedan and two SUVs fatally injured him and injured two motorists. The Daily News, citing police, identified the pedestrian as Muj Gjocaj and the Honda driver as Reynaldo Nazario, and reported that Nazario was fleeing police in a stolen Honda when he hit Gjocaj. The article reported that the Toyota driver and her passenger suffered serious injuries. The official vehicle entries and the article do not line up on every movement: the record lists the Toyota sedan traveling east and the Honda SUV traveling south, while the article says the Toyota driver was heading south on the parkway.
Police described a driver fleeing officers before the fatal impact
The official record places the crash at 9:32 a.m. on June 29, 2023, at East Mosholu Parkway South and Bainbridge Avenue, with one pedestrian killed and two motorists injured.
The Daily News reported, citing police, that Reynaldo Nazario was trying to get away from officers in a stolen Honda when he hit Muj Gjocaj. The article said a 66-year-old Toyota Corolla driver collided with Nazario at the intersection before police said Nazario hit Gjocaj.
Muj Gjocaj died after a day in the hospital
The official record identifies the person killed as a 74-year-old male pedestrian. The Daily News identified him as Muj Gjocaj and reported that he was taken to St. Barnabas Hospital in critical condition before dying from his injuries the next day.
The official record lists two motorists injured. The Daily News reported that the Toyota driver, 66, and her 87-year-old passenger were taken to St. Barnabas Hospital with serious injuries.
Records and the news account differ on some vehicle movements
The official vehicle records list a 2006 Toyota sedan traveling east, a 2000 Honda SUV traveling south, and a parked 2023 Nissan SUV. The Daily News described Nazario as driving a stolen Honda CRV and the other moving vehicle as a Toyota Corolla.
The official entries and the article disagree on the Toyota driver's direction: the city record lists the Toyota sedan traveling east, while the Daily News reported that the Toyota driver was heading south on the parkway.
Speed, a signal violation, and aggressive driving appear in the record
The crash-level contributing factor in the official record is aggressive driving or road rage. The Honda SUV entry lists unsafe speed and traffic control disregarded.
The Daily News reported that police took Nazario into custody and charged him with possession of stolen property, car theft, and unauthorized use of a vehicle after officers realized the Honda had been taken from a Bronx street two days earlier.
Where
East Mosholu Parkway South & Bainbridge Ave, Bronx